Who, When and How?
by rubiksbox
Summary: Hermione is pregnant, but hasn't been seeing anyone since she broke up with her boyfriend. So whose baby is she carrying and why can't she remember him?
1. February

Who, When and How?- Chapter 1

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

February-

"Harry, I'm pregnant." He never thought he'd hear those three words spoken to him at any time in his life, even if they had no bearing on him.

"Excuse me?"

"I've done three Muggle pregnancy tests, and they've all come out positive."

"Hermione, I didn't think you'd been seeing anyone in the last six months," he said.

"I haven't," Hermione answered, sitting down across from him at the table in the kitchen of the flat they shared with each other and their friend, Ron Weasley. "I haven't been on a date since I broke up with Josh. Harry, how did this happen? How can I be pregnant without sleeping with someone?"

"Immaculate conception?" he shrugged helplessly. He didn't know how to explain this to her when he didn't understand it himself.

"Harry! Be serious!" Hermione cried. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, first of all, calm down. If you 'are' pregnant, it's not good for the baby if you get upset. Second, are you going to keep it?" She shot him a look that would have sent Voldemort fleeing with fright.

"If you are even 'suggesting' that I get an abortion..." Harry shook his raven haired head.

"Of course not! I was thinking that maybe you would give it up for adoption, is all." She relaxed a little bit.

"I don't know. I haven't really had a chance to think about that yet. I just found out a few minutes ago."

"Are you sure they're positive?" She nodded, then stood up.  
"Come on, I'll show you." He followed her to the bathroom and she pointed to three different colored sticks that lay on the edge of the sink. Harry walked over to them and looked at the results, comparing them to the instructions. Sure enough, each test was indeed positive. He turned to his frizzy haired friend, the verification in his eyes. She seemed to have been waiting for him to tell her she'd read them wrong, that at least 'one' had been negative.

"You should go to a doctor, just to be sure, Hermione." She sank onto the edge of the bathtub.

"You're right," she whispered. "Would you go with me?" Harry goggled at her.

"Why would you need me?" he asked. "You'd just be going for a pregnancy test."

"I need you there for emotional support. Please, Harry?" He drew her up into a hug when he saw the fear on her face.

"Of course I will."

"Thank-you," Hermione replied. She hugged him back before pulling away. "We should go, then."

"Right now?"

"I don't want to wait until tomorrow. I'll just be working myself into a frenzy if I do that." He nodded, knowing full well how she could be when she was worried about something.

"All right," he said, leading the way back to the front room and getting their coats from the closet. He helped her with hers and pulled his on while he opened the door and grabbed his keys from the hook they hung on. "Let's go."

They returned a few hours later, Hermione walking dazedly into the flat and straight to her room after Harry removed her coat. He took his own off and hung them back in the closet, then took the papers the doctor had given her into the kitchen, where he found that Ron had come home. The tall redhead was sitting at the table with his sister, Ginny and their twin brothers, Fred and George. Harry tucked the papers in the back pocket of his jeans, knowing that Hermione wouldn't want Ron to be told unless she was there, and certainly not in front of some of the other Weasleys.

"There you are, mate!" Ron exclaimed. "Got back from the Burrow and no one's home. Where'd you and Hermione go?"

"We had an errand to run. Hi, you guys. See you found the rest of the chocolate cake." Ron licked the crumbs off his fork and grinned, not really concerned about what the 'errand' had been. He had more interesting news to tell.

"We have a bachelor party to plan. Charlie proposed to that girl he met in Gringott's last year, Pausha Mindi, and she accepted, poor thing. They're getting married in about five months and I've been made best man!"

"That's great, Ron!" Harry tried to sound excited, but felt he had failed miserably. Ron didn't seem to notice. He sat there, beaming at his good fortune. Ginny gave Harry a skeptical glance however, one that told him she knew something was up. Fred and George weren't even paying attention, they were devouring the last of the cake that Hermione had baked.

"We'd better go," Ginny said when Ron stood to take his plate to the sink. "We have a few things to get for the wedding, and Mum would be furious if we're late for dinner." She stood and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, and gave one to Harry as well. "See you later," she added to them as the twins followed her out into the front room where they Appartated out of the flat. Harry sighed with a slight bit of relief to see them go and heard footsteps heading towards the kitchen.

"Ron, something's happened. Hermione and I need to discuss it with you." Hermione entered the room, wiping her eyes. Ron saw this and cast a questioning look to his other friend.

"What is it, Hermione? Are you all right?" She nodded, shook, then nodded her head. "Which is it?" Ron asked. "Did someone hurt you?" he added when tears came to the surface again.

"No," she whispered. Harry moved forward and escorted her to a chair. Once she'd sat down, he took the seat next to her and looked up at Ron.

"What's wrong with her, Harry?"

"That's what we need to talk to you about." Harry looked at Hermione questioningly, then back to the redhead. "You'd better sit down for this." Ron did as suggested, still staring at his weeping friend. "Do you want me to tell him?" Harry asked. She nodded, closing her eyes tightly. Ron looked at Harry now.

"What? Tell me what?" he asked.

"Hermione's pregnant," came the reply. There was a stunned silence for a minute, then Ron started laughing.

"That's a good one! Now what's 'really' wrong?" He saw that Harry wasn't kidding a second later, and sobered up. "You're serious?" he asked. Harry nodded. "But, Hermione, you haven't dated anyone in the last six months! How can you be pregnant?" She opened her eyes and looked back and forth at them.

"I don't 'know'! That's the problem! The doctor says that I'm due around the twentieth of August," she answered. Ron thought for a second and came up with a possible answer.

"Well, then the baby has to be Harry's!" This brought looks of shock from his friends. "You two have been sharing rooms off and on when you're working on mutual projects for the Ministry, you can't tell me you haven't..." Harry stopped him cold.

"Yes, we 'can' tell you we haven't, Weasley," he snapped. Ron held his hands up in defense.

"It was only a thought, a guess. No need to get in a snit about it."  
"Stop, both of you!" Hermione cried. "This isn't helping. I haven't slept with 'anyone', and somehow I'm pregnant. Maybe your idea about an immaculate conception wasn't far off, Harry."

"What's she talking about?"

"When she told me this morning, I had slightly the same reaction you did, and when she asked me how she could have gotten pregnant without sleeping with someone, I suggested immaculate conception."

"Maybe you were right, maybe it's the will of some higher power that I have this baby." She dropped her head to the tabletop. "Oh, who am I kidding?" she moaned. "I have to find out who the father is!"

"And you need to know what to expect, as well," Harry said, pulling the papers out of his pocket and laying them out on the table. Ron leaned forward and looked at the top sheet. He blushed when he realized what the pictures were of. "Grow up, Ron," Harry admonished. "For Merlin's sake, we're not kids anymore, and there's nothing in these pictures you haven't seen before."

"There most certainly is," his friend corrected. "I've never seen a baby's head coming out of there before." Hermione looked down at the picture Ron had indicated and blanched.

"I can't do this," she moaned. "I can't do this, Harry!" He took her hand.

"Yes, you can. Ron and I are going to be here for you every step of the way. We're not going to abandon you, I promise." Ron nodded enthusiastically. "We're even going to be there in the room when the baby's born." Hermione looked from one to the other, noticeably calmer now.

"Thank you, both. I don't think I could have better friends than the two of you, and there's one 'really' big thing that I'm going to need your support with."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"How am I going to explain how this happened to the media when I start to show?" 


	2. March

Who, When & How?- Chapter 2

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

March-

Harry woke up to the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut, followed soon afterwards by Hermione retching. He was used to it by now, she'd been doing this more frequently over the last three weeks. He got up, slid his glasses on and went to see if he could get her anything to help her feel better.

What worried him the most was not that she was getting sick, but the reason 'why' she was sick was still a mystery to the three of them. They were no closer now, than a month ago, to finding out who the father of Hermione's baby was. He walked into the kitchen, finding Ron standing by the toaster with a slice of bread in one hand, examining the lever on the front of the appliance.

"Ron, don't tell me you forgot how to use it again," Harry chuckled. Ron turned his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Sort of. I was making some toast for Hermione, and I can't remember which end of the bread you put in first." Harry burst out laughing. It had been Hermione's idea for the three of them to move into this Muggle flat, given its proximity to the Ministry of Magic and Diagon Alley, but even after three years of living with and using Muggle appliances, Ron still became perplexed about the simplest tasks.  
"It doesn't matter, you just drop it into the slots." Ron inserted the bread, and stared at it, waiting for it to start toasting, then remembered he had to push the lever down. When that had been done, he gave a small whoop of triumph as he moved to the fridge to get the ingredients for his own breakfast. Harry's laughter grew as he watched his friend attempt to figure out the stove next. Hermione came in, still looking a bit queasy, just as her toast popped up.

"Urgh!" she groaned. "You're not going to make me eat that, are you?" Ron nodded as he put the toast on a plate and set it before her when she sat down.

"You have to eat something, Hermione," he said. She closed her eyes with repulsion. Harry put his hand over hers.

"I know you don't want to eat it, but Ron's right. Plus, the doctor did say that dry toast would help settle your stomach." She picked up the toast, gingerly nibbled, waited to see if it would stay down. Upon learning it would, she slowly ate the rest. Ron nodded with satisfaction and returned to the stove where the water for his tea had started boiling. Hermione asked if he would make her some as well.

"Herbal, Ron," Harry reminded him, earning himself a glare from Hermione. "You know it's better for the baby, and the doctor said that you're under too much stress as it is. The caffeine could only make it worse." She nodded resignedly, laying a hand on the tiny swelling. It was still hard to believe, even with the morning sickness in full swing, that she, Hermione Granger, frizzy-haired know-it-all from Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic's most adamant Magical Creature Liason with no one currently in her life, was going to have a baby.

"Here you go," Ron said, setting a steaming mug in front of her. He inhaled his cereal and tea, then put his dishes in the sink and excused himself to get dressed for the day. Harry looked at his watch as he finished his own breakfast and did the same. Hermione sat alone at the table for a while, wondering still on the matter of her child's father. It occupied her mind almost constantly, giving her headaches when she tried to remember who she possibly could have been with.

She reasoned that he must have been horrible in bed for her not to be able to even have a blury memory. She shook her head and took her cup and plate to the sink before heading out to the living room. Ron called his goodbyes as he hurried out the door to Quidditch practice, and Harry followed a second later on the way to the Auror Department in the Ministry.

"I'll see you later, Hermione," he said as he headed out the door. She waved to him and flopped on the couch. She had the week off and nothing to do but obssess over what she couldn't remember. It was driving her crazy. And that just made her... She jumped off the couch and bolted for the bathroom, making it just in time to lose her meager breakfast. She groaned when she finished, wishing her morning sickness would go away sooner rather than later.  
"Hermione?"

"In the bathroom, Ginny," she replied, flushing the toilet with a grimace. Her friend appeared in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face.

"Are you O.K.?" Hermione nodded. "You sure? I mean the wedding plans can wait a few days until you feel better."

"It's going to take more than a few days for me to start feeling better, and 'then' I'm going to start gaining a lot of weight." Ginny laughed.

"You make it sound like you were pregnant." Hermione, realizing now that she was going to have to tell someone outside of this flat eventually before the press heard it first, looked Ginny straight in the eye.

"That's because I 'am'," she said. The tall redhead's eyes widened. "I swore Harry and Ron to secrecy until I was ready to tell someone, and considering the fact that I'm going to start to show in a matter of weeks, I figured I'd better get it over with."

"But I thought you weren't with Josh any more?"

"I'm not. And before you ask, even though we 'have' slept in each other's bedrooms when we're working on a project, the baby isn't Harry's, either. As a matter of fact, I have no idea who it could be."

"Hermione! I didn't know you slept around that much!" Ginny exclaimed.

"I don't, Ginevra Weasley! You know me better than that. That's the problem. I haven't been with 'anyone' since I broke up with Josh, and I'm due in August, so that would mean it would have had to have happened in November at the latest. That was about three months after we split." Ginny was thoughtful.

"Are you 'sure' it isn't Harry's?" she asked cautiously. Hermione crossed her arms and nodded.

"We haven't 'been' together that way."

"You know you want to, though." Hermione blushed. Ginny was the only person she could confide in besides her mother about how she felt about Harry.

"Yes, I do. But that's not going to happen now. He's not going to want to be with someone who has a kid, especially when it's not his." She turned and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. "He and Ron are just as confused about this as I am, but they don't have the problem of being the one carrying and raising the baby without another parent. He's not going to want me now that I'm having someone's baby. Someone that must have been so bad that I can't remember anything about going to bed with him!" She slammed her fist on the edge of the sink with frustration.

Her shoulders slumped as she finally voiced her worst fears to her friend. "I may have lost him forever, but I won't get rid of the baby to fix that."

"I wouldn't have even suggested it!" Ginny said with horror. "And as for the other part of it, are you really so sure that he wouldn't want you 'and' the baby? I've seen the way he looks at you, Hermione. Talk to him. You might be surprised." Hermione looked unsurely at her. "Now come on. We have some wedding shopping to do." This gained a smile.

"You're right. Maybe some fresh air would do me good. But you're wrong about Harry." She moved past Ginny to her room to change for the day.

"Not when he told me how he feels about you, I'm not," Ginny whispered as Hermione's bedroom door closed with a soft click.

Slamming her purse down on the coffee table, Hermione let out a roar of rage, bringing both Harry and Ron running into the living room at top speed.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "Is the baby O.K.?"

"The baby's fine. It's today's 'Daily Prophet' that's not." She thrust the paper out and spun away in fury when Harry took it and read the headline out loud.

"'Hermione Granger-Bookworm, Magical Creature Liason, Friend to The Boy Who Lived, and...Mother?" He read the byline. "Looks like Rita Skeeter's really back at the Prophet, now," he said scanning the article quickly. "But Hermione, it doesn't say anything here that isn't true."

"It doesn't, huh?" she fumed, spinning to face her friend. "Third column, halfway down." Harry dropped his eyes to the spot, and his jaw fell open.

"What?" Ron was alarmed at the expression his friend had at the realization of what had been put into the story.  
Harry closed his mouth tightly, glanced toward Ron, then Hermione, cleared his throat and read, "'Sources say that if Miss Granger 'is' expecting, she may very well be possibly bringing another generation of Potters into the world, as it is most likely that Harry is the baby's father, due to the fact that the two share a small Muggle flat with their friend from Hogwarts, Ron Weasley, and when the duo are working together on projects for the Ministry, they tend to share each other's room for the night. Hmmmm.' Why does everyone automatically think that 'I'm' the father? Hermione and I have never slept together, not once, and now I'm resposible for her being pregnant?"

"What's more, is that I never said a 'word' to Rita about my pregnancy, Harry. The only other person that knows besides the three of us is Ginny, and I was talking very softly to her about it while we were shopping the other day in Diagon Alley. That means Rita is back to her old tricks of eavesdropping on private conversations as a 'beetle'!" Ron glanced uneasily between the other two.

"You guys aren't going to do anything to make this worse, are you? You know how Rita gets. She'd only start twisting what you say and make it sound as if you're confessing to everything."

"That's the point, Ron, there's nothing to confess! Harry's totally innocent, and Rita's article is making sound as if we've been sleeping together since Hogwarts. And how does she know about Harry and I sharing a bed when we're working? That's never left this flat. No one says anything about it anywhere else. Harry, what?" She had noticed his changes in expression and posture.

He shrugged guiltily.

"Actually, I 'did' say something to someone outside the flat." Hermione threw her hands into the air. "It was only to Fred and George about what you had said last month, and I didn't tell them about the baby, just that Ron was asking about whether we had slept together, or 'slept' together." He sat down heavily on the couch. "Someone must have overheard us, most likely Rita, knowing her. Hermione, I'm sorry, I really am."

"There's not much that can be done about that now, Harry. We're just going to have to get to the Prophet and tell them the truth, and that we don't want Rita to write one more untrue word about my pregnancy, or about the father, whoever 'he' is." She dragged him off the couch, grabbed Ron's hand and pulled both of them out the front door to accomplish their new objective. 


	3. April

Who, When & How?- Chapter 3

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

April-

Hermione woke to the sound of birds outside her window. She rolled onto her back, expecting to feel the familiar nausea, and was relieved when the only thing her stomach did was growl loudly at the smell of the breakfast Harry or Ron was cooking in the kitchen. She ran a hand over her five month bump and smiled as she recieved a light kick in return. Her baby had begun moving not long after the confrontation with the editors at the 'Daily Prophet' and Rita Skeeter, who now lived in mortal dread of her secret being revealed. Hermione remembered she had yelled for Harry, the only other one home when it had happened, and when he'd come running at top speed, apparently thinking something was wrong with the baby from the look that had been on his face, she'd burst out laughing. She'd beckoned him over to her side and taken his hand, placing it on her stomach. He'd pulled away in shock a second later when he'd felt the little butterfly movement, but returned his hand, curious to feel more of the baby's new activity and to explore the slight swell of Hermione's stomach as well. She smiled at the memory just as someone knocked on her bedroom door.

"Hermione, are you awake?"

"Yes, Harry. I was just getting up. You can come in." He cracked the door open and peered around it.

"You all right? Ron was getting worried about you just before he left. You don't usually sleep this long." Hermione looked over to her alarm clock and gasped.

"It's almost nine! Why didn't someone wake me? I'm going to be late to the Ministry!" She threw the covers back and jumped out of bed, hurrying to gather clothing and accessories. Harry stopped her with his hands raised in front of him when she attempted to leave the room.

"Calm down," he said. "It's Saturday, remember?" She none too gently pushed him out of her way as she continued to the bathroom.

"I know what day it is, Harry, but there's a preliminary hearing that couldn't be rescheduled during the week. Everyone involved has to come in today to give their testimonies and related information to the Wizengamot. It's very important that I be there." With that, she shut the bathroom door on a confused Harry.

He shook his head as he heard the shower start and walked back to the kitchen. It seemed that Hermione's pregnancy wasn't slowing her down. If anything, she was more fanatical than before about the rights of magical creatures.  
"She keeps working this hard, she's going to wear herself out, or worse," he muttered to himself as he finished making her breakfast just as an owl soared through the open window over the sink. It landed on the counter next to him and held out its leg, showing the Ministry seal underneath Hermione's name. Harry removed the letter and the owl took flight back the way it came. Hermione hurried into the kitchen ten minutes later, dressed in her overly severe Ministry robes, her hair wild from the towling she'd given it, and loosely pulled back from her face.

"I don't really have time to eat, Harry. I'll just get some toast to take with me on the way to the Ministry."

"Speaking of which," he replied, handing her the message. She broke the seal and scanned the contents of the scroll hurriedly, then sat down hard in the chair beside her. "What?" Harry asked with concern.

"I did all the scrabbling around for nothing. It seems they were able to reach an agreement without the testimonies after all and don't need me to come in."

"Good. Then you have time for breakfast, and after that, we're going shopping."

"For what?" Harry rolled his green eyes.

"We don't have a lot of food left after the party Ron had the other night, you need to start getting some things for the baby, and I need to be measured for my dress robes for Charlie and Pausha's wedding. Come to think of it, you need new dress robes, too." Hermione snorted.

"Yeah, right, Potter. The wedding's not for another three months. I'm going to look like a blimp by then." She started in on the plate Harry sat before her. "But as for the groceries, can we get some watermelon and sardines?" Harry wrinkled his nose. "That just sounds so good right now."

"I don't know about the watermelon. They aren't in season yet, but we can try." She finished eating, and Harry took her plate to the sink. "You get ready and I'll clean up the kitchen."

Twenty minutes later, they headed out the door, Harry having left a note on the fridge for Ron in case he came home while they were out.

Harry shifted the bags he was holding to his left hand and flexed the fingers of his right. He was waiting for Hermione, but couldn't see her anywhere. They had seperated about three hours earlier when she'd decided not to accompany him to his robe fitting, saying that she was going to Flourish and Blotts instead. He'd gone there when he was done at Madam Malkin's but she'd left some time before, according to the lady behind the counter. He'd thanked her and continued his search, going to every store that he could think she might be in, even inquiring at Gringott's, but they told him she hadn't been there, much to his dismay. Now he stood on the steps of the bank looking over the length of Diagon Alley searching for his friend, sighing heavily when he couldn't locate her.

He decided to walk around some more, this time looking in every window, even in stores he knew she had no interest in ever entering. He stopped in front of a shop he'd never noticed before near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hermione would never go in here," he said softly to himself as he glanced over the display in the window. He was about to leave, but stopped short. Hermione was 'indeed' in this store, reflected in a mirror behind a screen. He felt his body react to what he was seeing as she was completely nude. The beautiful sight of her standing there, her pregnancy now more than evident, struck him in his heart. He was irritated when the shopkeeper blocked his view with the screen, and at the same time, ashamed of himself for wanting what didn't and couldn't belong to him. More and more he woke from dreams about Hermione, most often in the state he'd just seen her in, but he knew now his dreams didn't come close to doing her beauty justice. He wished he had the nerve to tell her exactly how he felt, how he wished that he was the father of the child she was carrying.

He turned away with sadness in his heart, moving on to Florean Fortiscue's. The ice cream shop had reopened not long after the final war, and Harry had been delighted to find that he was even more warmly welcomed by the staff. He seated himself with a small sundae at one of the tables outside the shop to wait for Hermione, thinking about how much he wanted to be with her. He'd admitted to himself a long time ago that he was in love with her, chosing to spend his life almost as a monk, while watching her go on dates with Josh, whom she had been seeing since they had left Hogwarts. He'd been elated when their relationship had finally ended due to the matter that neither was ready to make more of a commitment than they already had. In fact, Josh had wanted to see other people, and Hermione was more than willing to let him.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Harry spun around.

"Ginny! You startled me."

"I gathered that from your reaction. What's on your mind? And where's Hermione? I heard from dad that the hearing she was to attend today was cancelled, and as you're here, I thought she would be too."

"She is," Harry said, his eyes filling with tears of pain while he stirred his sundae in its bowl.

"Harry! What's wrong?" He lowered his head to lay on his folded arms as he started crying silently. Ginny waited patiently, stroking his back comfortingly. He straightened back up after a bit and wiped his eyes on his napkin.

"She's in that new shop near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. You know the one, with the revealing robes and almost nonexsistant undergarments in the windows?" Ginny nodded.

"Magical Mysteries," she said.

"That's the one. I've told you how I feel about Hermione, well, when the hearing was cancelled, I saw it as an opportunity to spend some time with her and get some shopping done at the same time. While I was having my dress robe fitting for the wedding, she went off to do some shopping of her own and when I finally found her in there," he pointed in the shop's general direction, "I saw her reflection in a mirror that was behind a privacy screen. The shopkeeper moved it to block the view from the window, but not before I saw her..." He dropped to a whisper. "She was completely naked." Ginny smiled when she saw the longing in her friend's green eyes. His voice returned to its original level. "Ginny, she was so beautiful. I couldn't bear it. I had to get away, so rather than go in to wait for her, I came here."

"Harry, why don't you just tell her how you feel?" He shook his head.

"I can't. She'd only laugh at me."

"I don't think so. She's coming now." Ginny stood. "Talk to her, Harry. You may be in for a surprise." She walked towards Hermione, talked to her for a few seconds, from the look of shock on Hermione's face followed quickly by a blush, Harry gathered he was going to have to be more careful about what he told Ginny from now on. Then giving Hermione a hug, the redhaired woman waved and walked away.

Hermione stood in the spot she was in, watching their friend leave, then turned and headed to Harry. She dropped the bag she was carrying. Harry noted that 'Magical Mysteries' was written on the side and averted his gaze while she ordered a sundae like his.

"Harry?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye, unable to do any more for fear that he would react the same way he had upon seeing her through the window. "Did you really tell Ginny that I was beautiful today?" He now turned to her fully, and was relieved to find that the question was hiding nothing.

He silently thanked Ginny for whatever discretion she had used in revealing this, cursing her at the same time for putting him on the spot. Hermione's sundae arrived, and she asked the server if they had any tuna she could put in it. The woman looked as if she were about to gag, but said she would check.

"I thought you wanted watermelon and sardines?"

"I still do, but all of a sudden, the baby wanted tuna and ice cream." She lay a hand on her stomach, making Harry close his eyes with the memory of her reflection.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Your question?" he said, not opening his eyes for fear that his emotions would show and he'd be forced to leave her there.

"Yes. I asked if you really told Ginny that I was beautiful today." She licked a drop of chocolate sauce from her spoon. Mr. Fortescue came over, bearing a small dish, the moment Harry's eyes opened. "Oh, good!" she exclaimed when she saw what was in the dish. "You did have some tuna." She thanked him as he walked away with a smile at being able to please a friend of Harry Potter. She added the fish to the ice cream and took a bite, Harry watching with distaste.

"Chocolate tuna sundae, yuck," he laughed while she ate it rapidly. When she'd finished, they stood, leaving the money for the ice cream and headed towards the Leaky Caudron. They Apparated back to their flat, having too many bags bearing magical shop names that would draw the curiosity of Muggles, and Harry didn't want Hermione to walk that far carrying the weight of their purchases in the first place. He noted that Ron still hadn't returned as he carried his bags and packages to his room, Hermione right behind him on the way to hers.

"We still have to do the grocery shopping," he said as they seperated.

"And you still have to answer my question," was the reply. He stiffened. He knew he'd have to answer her, but wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her why he'd thought she was beautiful.

'Maybe Ginny's right,' a voice inside him whispered. Harry hung his head in defeat, no longer able to fight. He wanted nothing more than to be with Hermione as more than friends, he needed to tell her what was in his soul. He heard her behind him and wondered if she might possibly feel the same way about him, increasing the torment of feelings surrounding his already aching heart.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, not turning yet, wanting time to allow his senses to calm themselves.

"Yes. Harry, are you all right? You seem tense." He nodded and turned to her with a smile.

"I'm fine. We'd better hurry if we're going to catch the bus." He took her hand, gasped slightly at the electrical shock he felt when their fingers touched and vowed to tell her when they returned. 


	4. May

Who, When & How?- Chapter 4

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

May-

"Hermione?" She turned her head to see Harry standing in her doorway, looking extremely nervous. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course you can, Harry. Come in." He did, closing the door softly behind him, shutting out the noise of Ron and his brothers, who were in planning mode for Charlie's bachelor party. Hermione spun her desk chair around to face him, and he was struck, not for the first time this week that she was more beautiful every day, the glow she now had from her advancing pregnancy only aided to this. Harry shifted from one foot to the other, looking for the words to tell her what he'd been trying to for the last three weeks. She stood and walked over to him to take his hand and lead him to the edge of her bed.

"Sit down before you fall down, Harry." He did as ordered and she took a seat next to him. "Now what did you want to talk about?" He played with a string at the hem of his shirt a few minutes before speaking.

"You remember the day last month when we went to Diagon Alley? The day that Ginny told you that I thought you were beautiful?" Hermione made a sound of assent.

"Yes, and you never did answer my question that day. You were more concerned about getting the shopping done. I could tell that something was bothering you, but when we got home and Ron was here with Fred, George and Percy, I didn't get the chance to say anything. Am I about to find out what was wrong?" He nodded.

"I was going to let you know, but like you said, Ron and his brothers were here, and it just wasn't a good time. And since then, they've been here most every day, or you and I have been at work, so this is the first moment we've had to be alone so that I can tell you."

"Tell me what, Harry?"

"First off, I need your promise that no matter what I say, you won't get mad at me." Hermione crossed her heart. "Second, I want you to realize that what I'm telling you has been inside me for quite a while now, and I have to get it out, or I'll explode. Or go crazy, take your pick."

"Could you just say it, please?"

"O.K." He sighed deeply before continuing. "I was looking for you that day in Diagon Alley. I searched everywhere. Gringotts, the apothacary, Flourish and Blotts, they told me you had left quite a while before I got there, and then I started looking in places I knew you would have no interest in. I finally found you in the one place I would never have thought to look. The Magical Mysteries shop. Now, I do know you wear stuff like that," He blushed considerably at the thought and the memory of what she 'had' been wearing at the time. "But when I found you..."

"Harry,...are you telling me you saw me behind that screen? You saw me naked?"

"Yes," he replied softly, lowering his eyes. She closed hers tightly for a second.

"And you were worried about how I would feel if I knew?"

"Sort of. I also thought you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I couldn't stop myself from reacting to it." He felt her stiffen, and hesitantly raised his eyes to her face.

"That's what you meant when you told Ginny I was beautiful?" "No. Not at all. I told her that you were beautiful, and I told her exactly why. Because of the way I had seen you."

"Ginny knows you saw me naked?" Hermione asked with slight horror. He nodded and she covered her face with her hands, rose off the bed and turned away from him.

"Hermione, wait. It's not like you think. She saw me sitting at Florean Fortescue's by myself and came over to talk to me. When she asked me if you were there, I started crying." She spun around to face him. "I told her that I had been looking for you after my robe fitting, and that when I saw you in that state, it tore my heart to pieces."

"Because I still don't know who the father is, right?" Hermione almost spat out. "Well, let me tell you..."

"No," he broke in, shaking his head slowly. "Because I wanted something that I couldn't have."

His admission was more than he could bear. He stood and hurried to the door, yanked it open and was gone. Hermione was rooted to the floor in shock, even after she heard his bedroom door close. Harry had wanted her? No. It couldn't have been that. She felt the baby moving restlessly and unconciously lay her hand over the swell in an attempt to comfort it. She had to know what he'd meant. She followed him and knocked quietly on his door, to keep from drawing the Weasleys' attention. He didn't answer, but she heard muffled sniffles just before she let herself into his room.

"Harry?" she started as she relatched the door. She moved to where he was standing by the window. His hands were fisted at his sides, and when she reached him, she saw that his shoulders were shaking with suppressed sobs. "Harry, why are you hurting so much?"

"Because I'm in love with the one person that I can never be with," he choked out. Hermione caught the implication loud and clear, and her heart soared. She moved around to his front, taking in the tears of pain that were pouring down his face as he stared blankly out the window.

"Why never?" Harry spun on his heel and stalked over to his dresser.

"Oh, come on, Hermione. We both know that 'you're' not in love with 'me'. We could never be more than friends. Especially now. We still don't know who the father of your baby is, but I'm sure that he wouldn't like another man raising it."

"Harry, I don't care who the father is anymore. I was trying to tell you that earlier when you inturrupted me. If he cared about the baby at all, he would have made himself known by now. Especially what with all the press I'm getting with being associated with you and Ron and being pregnant on top of it. And as for the part of me not being in love with you," She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You're wrong." He stiffened in shock and turned to face her. She smiled when she saw the question in his eyes.

"Yes, Harry. I love you." He crossed the room and took her into his arms.

"Do you really?"

"For as long as I can remember. I think that's part of the reason it didn't bother me so much to see Josh go." She stepped back and started unbuttoning the throat of her blouse. Harry watched her, tears of reverence now wetting his cheeks. The garment fell from her shoulders, followed quickly by her bra. She started to remove her skirt, but was halted.

"Please," Harry said, taking her hands and leading her to sit on his bed. "I just want to look at you." He knelt on the floor in front of her. Hermione was slightly unnerved to have Harry staring at her body so intently, but allowed him to do as he wished for the time being. Her eyes fluttered shut when he lightly stroked across her swollen stomach, and she found herself wishing he would move up to her breasts, which were begging for him to touch them. She could actually 'feel' the need for his caresses there. He kissed her where he had just seen the baby give one last kick and she giggled, opening her eyes and looking down at him.

"I think you just calmed him down," she said. "A few minutes ago, he was acting as if there were a Quidditch match going on in there."

"He? You know it's a boy?" Hermione shook her head.

"No, I didn't want to know the sex, but it's better than saying 'it' all the time, don't you think?" Harry nodded in agreement. He rose up onto his knees and leaned forward to taste the skin of her collarbone. Hermione sighed beneath his lips, her hand buried itself in his dark hair. He trailed little kisses from one side of her neck, across her throat to the other side. The front of his t-shirt skimmed lightly over her breasts, and her back arched involuntarily, reaching for more. He complied, raising his hands to cup the undersides, testing their weight, which had started to become a more considerable amount over the last few weeks, but that was the furthest thought from her mind. Her head dropped back as she sighed her satisfaction when the pads of his thumbs brushed her already hard nipples. Harry pulled back slightly to watch the reaction his hands had created, desire beginning to show in his bright emerald gaze.

"Harry," she breathed. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

"If you are, I'm there with you," he whispered. He smiled at her purr when his hands stroked her breasts, his thumbs still centering on the turgid peaks. He could resist no longer, and dropped his head to the left, taking her nipple into his mouth. He saw and felt Hermione's shudders, the hand in his hair pulling him closer as the other gripped his shoulder while her first orgasm overtook her. Before she could come down from the heights she'd soared to when it had started, he was starting the buildup for the second by moving his wonderful mouth to her other breast. Her hands ran down his back, grasping his shirt, pulling at it desperately.

"Please, Harry. I need you out of this." He pulled away only long enough to rid himself of the fabric and allow her to stare at him the way he had her. This time, his lips sought out hers. She willingly opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance, meeting it enthusiastically with her own. Harry was an incredible kisser, she wished she'd known years ago, long before what had happened over the last six months had transpired. Then maybe he would be the father of her unborn baby instead of being on the verge of becoming the only other lover she'd ever had other than Josh and whoever the man was that had helped her into her condition. That thought struck her as humorous and she started laughing into Harry's mouth.

He pulled away in shock.

"What's so funny?" he asked, a little offended that she seemed to be laughing at the way he'd been kissing her. She covered her mouth to regain some control over herself.

"I'm not laughing at you, Harry. I was just thinking about how well you kiss. You're amazing, and I was wishing that I'd known that before all this happened," she gestured to her stomach. "Then maybe 'you' would be my baby's father." His eyes glazed over with the thought of having been the one to help her create the life growing inside her now. "Then I thought about how you are about to be the third lover I've ever had, and then the funny part came into my head." He looked confused. "The others being Josh and the guy that put me into my current state. That's what was funny, because 'you' are the one that's got me in this state of total arousal."

Harry now grinned, and stood. Hermione kept her eyes on his, though she could see at the edge of her vision, he was removing his socks and jeans. He'd apparently had nothing under his pants as he knelt before her as soon as they hit the floor. She leaned back on her elbows to lift her hips, helping him slide her skirt and slip down and off. He kissed the underside of her stomach before removing the last garment she had on and joining her on the bed.

"How are we going to do this?" he asked, desire and concern both evident in his voice. Hermione smiled.

"We can still do it the normal way. I'm not that big, so it won't be a problem." She shifted so that she was lying against Harry's pillows. He moved as well, covering her body carefully with his, and she saw his arousal just before he lowered his head to kiss her. She felt a small twinge of fear. Harry was larger than she'd expected, certainly bigger than Josh had been. He sensed her momentary hesitation, knew why and rose to his knees between her legs.

"Look at me, Hermione," he requested. She lifted herself onto her elbows and did what he asked. Upon closer inspection, she couldn't imagine that he'd 'not' be able to fit inside her. As aroused as the sight now made her, she could probably take something the size of Mr. Weasley's old Ford Anglia into her body! She verbalized this, and Harry smiled widely.

"I don't think I'm 'that' big, but thank-you for the compliment." He moved closer to her as she lay back down, the tip of his erection just brushing her opening. He looked up at her, silently asking her permission, and she nodded quickly. She didn't want to risk the chance of him changing his mind. She watched his eyes drift closed as he began to enter her slick warmth. He moved slowly, yet purposefully, relishing the grip her muscles were wrapping him in. It took all his self-control to keep from slamming into her and ruining it for both of them from the start. He felt his body touch hers, knew he had reached his hilt. Hermione felt him still inside her. She searched his face for the reason, then raised a hand to his jaw when she realized what was the problem. His green eyes opened and he looked down at her with total love.

"Harry, don't worry about hurting the baby. The doctor said it's perfectly safe for me to..." She searched for a word that wouldn't make him decide to withdraw from her, and came up with the only one meaningful enough describe what they were doing. "The doctor said that it's safe for me to make love until about the middle of my eighth month, possibly longer, depending on how comfortable I am with it." He started to thrust slowly in and out of her body, the sensations of having Harry finally with her, knowing now that he loved her as much as she did him, it became too much and her back arched with a spectacular orgasm. Her whimpers filled his ears, making him moan softly in the back of his throat. He pushed more fully into her and she, to his happy surprise, came again. His replying moans were slightly louder now. Hermione clutched the covers of his bed, wishing furtively that her stomach wasn't preventing him from being able to lay atop her instead of being forced to remain on his knees. She was delighted when he found a sort of way around this problem, bracing his hands on either side of her shoulders after grabbing a pillow and lifting her hips and put it under her backside.  
Harry was set upon making sure she enjoyed this as much as he did, and wasn't disappointed. In fact, she was taking 'great' pleasure from his lovemaking. He was amazed when she started another series of orgasms, they being his undoing. His body tensed, his eyes slammed shut, and his mouth opened in a silent scream, while he felt wave after wave of pleasure he'd never felt before as he emptied himself into her depths with only a small gutteral moan letting her know he'd gone over the edge.

"Oh, my God!" Hermione groaned as her final release flowed over her. Harry's arms started shaking with the effort of holding his weight, he looked on the verge of collapsing, but straightened to his prievious position to gently withdraw from her and moving to her side before he allowed the exhaustion to take hold. She curled into him, feeling his arms wrap protectively around her as they both started to drift off.

Ron made his way back to the front of the flat after retrieving a neccessary list from his bedroom. A sound from behind Harry's door made him pause, listening closely for any sign of trouble from someone that would be attempting to take Voldemort's place, and in effect try to hurt Harry.

The sound he heard, though, was nothing to be alarmed about. Harry let out a soft moan, quickly followed by Hermione's voice quietly groaning, "Oh, my God!"

Ron smiled to himself.  
"About damn time," he whispered, and whistling softly, headed back to join his brothers. 


	5. June

Who, When & How- Chapter 5

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

June-

Harry helped Hermione into a chair, and went into the kitchen to get her some ice water. He fanned himself as he took down the glass and put ice into it, followed by the water. There was a heatwave engulfing London at the moment, and of course, although it was not something too overly common in England to begin with, but still another reason they had chosen to live here, was they had central air, the building having been built by Americans. But the cooling system had been down for three days. Hermione was miserable, the baby was restless, and Harry was getting the brundt of his girlfriend's short temper.

Ron had escaped once more to the coolness of the Burrow, helping to finalize the plans for the wedding, which was in just a few more weeks. They had been attempting cooling spells and charms, but to no success. The best they had come up with only lasted a few minutes, then sputtered and died. Harry returned to Hermione who was sitting as straight as she was able in her advancing pregnancy, apparently listening for something.

"What?" he asked as he handed her the glass. She silenced him with an impatient wave of her hand. A second later, they heard the familiar hiss of the coolant inside the walls, followed by a blessedly chilled draft over their faces.

"Thank God!" Harry said as he flopped down in a chair next to Hermione, who was greedily gulping her water. She drained it and set the glass on the protective stone center they'd put on their coffee table when Ron and a few of his Quidditch teammates had left rings from the number of sweating discarded beer bottles they'd been drinking one night a year or so back. Harry had come home to find Hermione screaming at their sheepish friend, and was feeling a bit defensive, but after seeing the state the table was in, his sympathy drained away. Hermione's parents had given her the table, an heirloom from her grandmother, when they had first moved into the flat, and Ron knew the penalty for damaging it in any way. Harry smiled at the memory and turned to face his girlfriend.

"Did you still want to take a bath?" She nodded.

"I want to get this sweat off me before it dries," she replied. "There's nothing worse than smelling like old dry sweat when you're seven months pregnant."

Harry held out his hand as he stood to lift her from the chair, her body having grown more quickly in the last two weeks, even though she'd not been eating any more than usual. She'd grown worried about it and now had a sonogram appointment for that afternoon to find out if this was normal, or if there was a potential problem with the baby.

"We 'do' have to hurry, though, Harry," she said, her voice bordering on sly. He caught her meaning perfectly. Her sexual appetite had increased dramatically since they'd become a couple, and Harry had been only too willing to comply. He'd found he couldn't get enough of this beautiful woman. He looked at the clock.

"We still have four hours till your appointment," he said, feigning innocence.

"I meant we have to hurry to get to the bedroom."

"Yes, m'am!" He followed closely behind her as she headed into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind them, just in case Ron decided to return before they 'did' make it to the bedroom.

The doctor slid the device over Hermione's bare stomach, watching the monitor the whole time.

"Well!" she exclaimed. "That 'would' be a reason for your added weight." She smiled and turned to face them. "I don't know how, but this baby seems to have been hiding something from us for the last seven months." She pointed to the screen, tracing the blurry mass with the tip of her finger. Harry squinted at it closely, then it dawned on him, seemingly before it did Hermione, as she looked confused when he got up and went to look more closely.

"Oh, my God," he said.

"What? What's going on?" Hermione was getting impatient and more than just a little worried. Somehow Harry knew what was happening with her baby before she did, and neither he nor the doctor seemed to have the inclination to let her in on the secret. "What's wrong?" Harry turned to her, shock registering on his face from what he'd seen.

"There's nothing wrong with the babies, Hermione," he replied.

"Then why is every...one...so... Hang on. Did you just say 'babies'?" Harry grinned widely and nodded. Hermione looked toward the doctor, who also nodded.

"Twins." She indicated a space on the monitor. "See this right here? That's the front baby's left hand, and here's the right, but there's another hand coming out from behind the shoulder. Now I don't think this baby has grown a new arm within the last two weeks, so it only stands to reason that there are two."

Harry returned to his seat beside Hermione and took her hand tightly in his own.

"Seems that the mystery of your pregnancy just keeps getting bigger, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean, 'mystery'?" the doctor asked.

"I have absolutely no idea how I became pregnant in the first place. I told you that when you confirmed that I was pregnant back in February." The other woman laughed as she remembered her response.

"Yes, and I told you then that most likely it had been the normal way. Are you saying that Harry's not the father?" She recieved nods from both of them.

"I don't know who the father is. I have absolutely no memory of sleeping with anyone in the last ten months other than Harry, and that didn't start happening until last month. I don't drink that often, and when I do, it's only one or two, not enough to make me forget what I do from one night to the next morning. Harry suggested when he saw the results of the three home tests that I did that it had been immaculate conception." The doctor laughed.

"Well I don't think that's the case. But I have a question for you. If you hadn't slept with anyone in, how long was it at the time?"

"Well, it was the day that I came in, and I'd broken up with my boyfriend about six months earlier, so that would be it. Six months."

"All right. And you were three months along when I verified you were pregnant. My question is, why did you do the home tests in the first place?"

Harry sat a little straighter. It seemed that he wanted to know the answer to this as well, now that it had been asked.

"I was reading a book," Hermione began. Harry inturrupted.

"That's not a surprise," he muttered good naturedly.

"Shut up, Harry," came the mock scathing reply. "As I was saying, I was reading a book for a report I was doing for work, and I came upon the symptoms of possible pregnancy. Late period, sudden nausea, that sort of stuff. I found that I was able to list some of them as to what I was experiencing at the time, so even though I knew there was no possible way that I could have been pregnant, I went to the store and bought a test. To my absolute shock, it came out 'positive'! There was no way! I ran back to the store and bought two more, different brands, just to prove that I really wasn't pregnant and both of them turned out positive as well. That's three tests, each a different brand, and each turned out positive. I went to Harry and told him, he looked at the results, and suggested that I come here to be absolutely sure. You know the rest of the story." She paused to take a breath. "Now, about this new discovery that there may be 'twins' inside me?" Her doctor smiled and turned to the monitor again.

"There's no doubt. There are two babies." She moved the sonagram wand further to Hermione's left, and more of the newly discovered second baby came into view. "I don't know how we didn't hear the second heartbeat, but given that its sibling has always been in the front, it's possible that it was just blocked from view and hearing."

Harry noted something as the view was changed once more, but kept his mouth closed. He decided to ask the doctor about it when they left the room so Hermione could get dressed. The oportunity came a few short minutes later. The door closed behind them and he breathed deeply from the experience of being with the woman he loved discovering that she was carrying twins.

"Excuse me, Doctor?"

Hermione buttoned her blouse, staring at the screen for a few seconds. She chuckled to herself as she thought that twins would explain the way she'd been feeling simultanious kicks and punches in two or three places at one time, sometimes near her ribs and down by her pelvis, and why she had to go to the bathroom more than some of the women she talked to in the waiting room.

"Whoever your daddy is, he seemed to do his part a little 'too' efficiantly," she whispered to her unborn children. Harry cracked the door open and cautiously peered around it. "Harry, be serious. You've seen me totally naked more than once, I don't care if you come in when I'm getting dressed. In fact, you can help me with my shoes." He picked up her sandals and put them on her feet while she was still sitting on the table, thinking that even though the doctor hadn't been able to tell him what he'd wanted to know as he wasn't the father, she'd answered his questions enough for him to be able to get the result he wanted himself.

He looked up at Hermione when he'd finished.

"Ready to go?" She nodded.

"Just have to make my next appointment." She slid off the table with his help and together they walked to the waiting room. 


	6. July

Who, When & How?- Chapter 6

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

July-

"Harry? What do you want for your birthday?" Hermione asked, watching him dip the roller into the pale yellow paint and apply it to the wall of the former spare bedroom. The window was wide open to help with the fumes and the door was shut to keep the air conditioning from going out the window in more ways than one, so to speak. He glanced over his shoulder as he spread the paint over the old faded white had been there since they'd moved into the flat. It had been his idea for them to turn the guest room into a nursery, given that it was right across the hall from his own, and when Hermione had protested, saying that she would have trouble hearing the twins during the night, he'd countered with the idea that she move into his room and they'd use hers as the guest room from now on.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because your birthday is in two weeks, silly. I want to get you something."

"Hermione, the twins are due in just over a month, Charlie and Pausha's wedding is this weekend, and I want this room done in time for the crib delivery tomorrow. I really haven't thought about my birthday. But if you want to know, I don't want anything but a quiet dinner with you." He put down the roller and crossed the dropcloth draped floor to kiss the tip of her nose.

"Now come on, out! You really shouldn't be in here," he admonished as he returned to his task. Ron rolled his eyes from his position by the window.

"She knows that, mate. She just can't stand being away from you for more than ten minutes." Hermione stuck her tongue out at their friend as she headed to the door. As soon as it closed behind her, Ron added, "Watch. She'll be back before I finish this corner." Harry laughed. They continued painting the nursery and talking about the coming wedding. Hermione returned five minutes later.

"What'd I tell you? Not 'even' ten minutes."

"Ron, stuff it. This came for you from your mother. I thought you would want to read it now," she replied. The redhead picked his way around the ladder and paintcans that were littering one part of the floor to get to her and the letter she was holding out.

"Why didn't the owl deliver it to me in here?" he asked.

"Would 'you' come in here if you were an owl?" Harry said. "I sent Hedwig out last week with a letter to Remus and Tonks, she came back last night just after I'd started the far wall, and she wouldn't come in for anything. Must be the fumes." He wiped sweat from his paint streaked forehead with a rag, smearing the yellow color even farther into his hair. Ron and Hermione started laughing immediately. "What?"

"There's something about Harry!" Hermione crowed. He got the movie reference and lifted his hand to his hair. Sure enough, it was standing up from the paint drying in it.

"Covers up your scar, though!" Ron added, holding his now aching sides. Harry joined in their laughter, stopping only when he heard someone knocking at their front door. He attempted to flatten his hair on the way through the front room, and having no luck, pulled his wand from his pocket, pointed it to his head and muttered, "Scourgify."

Ron waited until his friend had replaced the wand to open the door as it couldn't have been one of their friends. They would just Apparate into the front room and call out to let someone know they were there. So either this was some Muggle salesman, or maybe someone they knew from Hogwarts that hadn't been given clearance to the Apparition point they'd set up. On the other side of the door stood the man from the furniture store. One of the cribs standing next to him. Hermione and Harry were shocked.

"I thought you weren't going to be here until tomorrow," Harry stated. The man shrugged.

"We finished assembling them sooner than we thought, so my boss told me to bring them over." Ron stood aside to let him bring the crib in. Hermione hurried out of the way as quickly as she could while Harry and Ron showed the deliveryman where the cribs would go. She had to grip the back of the sofa tightly when something flashed in her head, making her gasp.

Someone had been kissing her passionately, moving down her body to her...

"All right, I'll get the other one and bring it up. Back in a minute." The three men had reappeared before she could totally grasp what it was she had been seeing. Now she was disoriented. She shook her head to clear it, catching Harry's attention.

"You O.K.?" he asked, taking her arm. She nodded as he led her around the sofa to sit her down on it.

"I'm fine. Just had a bit of a dizzy spell for a second."

"I told you you're not to be in that room while it's being painted," he said, kneeling down to look her in the eye. "That does it. As soon as this guy leaves, I'm using magic to finish the walls and to clear the fumes. Until then, you stay out of there." He perched on the arm of the sofa when the other crib came in the door and through the room. The man returned when it had been put in the nursery, dusting his hands as he headed back out of the flat.

"Thank you," Harry called as Ron shut the door.

"Anytime," came the answer as the man started back down the stairs.

"Ron, stay here with Hermione." Harry stood up and moved towards the hall. "I'm going to finish the room." He was only gone a few minutes, but Ron saw Hermione get dizzy again while they were waiting for him to return.

"Harry!" he yelled as she keeled over. He caught her just as she started to fall and Harry barreled into the room. They picked her up together and carried her to the bedroom. Harry bumped the door open and handing her completely over to Ron, ran to the bed to clear his freshly laundered clothes from the covers.

"I told her not to go in there," he muttered as Ron lay Hermione on the bed. She started to come around, and realizing where she was, gasped slightly.

"What happened? How did I get here?"

"You had another spell and fainted," Ron told her. "Harry and I brought you in here." She attempted to sit up, but Harry gently forced her to remain where she was.

"Nothing doing," he said. "You're staying right here." He leaned closer to her, kissing her cheek as he added in a whisper, "You and the twins are too precious to me to be risking your health. Please stay put." She nodded and he stood. "Ron and I will finish the nursery and clean ourselves up, then I'm going for a pizza. You just take a nap until I come to get you, all right?" She smiled.

"All right, Harry." As soon as they were gone, she looked toward the window, watching the rain that had started to fall. She attempted to recapture the second flash she'd had, the one that had caused her to pass out.

"Hermione? Dinner's here." Harry's soft voice whispered near her ear. She turned her head to look at him.

"How did you do that?" she asked, seeing he was now clean and had changed his clothes. "You were only gone a few seconds." Harry looked worried.

"Hermione, it's nearly six. We brought you in here almost two hours ago." She sat up slowly. "Love, I think you need to start your maternity leave now." She looked up at him with shock. "You're scaring me, having two dizzy spells in less than ten minutes, falling asleep and thinking that I'd only been gone for a few seconds, the stress of the Ministry is too much for you." She frowned, knowing he was right.

"O.K.," she conceded. "I'll send them an owl tomorrow letting them know they have to replace me for the next few months. I'm not happy about it though, Harry." He smiled as he helped her off the bed.

"That's fine, just get a decent amount of sleep tonight, and 'I' will be."

Harry watched Hermione across the table. It was his birthday, and he'd gotten one wish already. Their quiet dinner. She was looking over the menu in her hands, still trying to decide what she wanted to eat. When she moved her eyes farther down the page, he slid a hand into his jacket pocket and withdrew the item he'd been obsessing about for the last week. He placed it just behind her plate and waited.

"I think I'll have the grilled salmon steak," she finally said, closing the folder and putting it down. Her eyes landed on the object and she gasped audibly. Harry picked up the box, opened it and withdrew the ring. Hermione's hands flew to her mouth.

"I thought I was going to do this after the wedding the other day," he said as he moved to kneel by her chair. They were recieving stares from the few other couples that were in the restaurant. "But I changed my mind when I thought about what you asked me in the nursery. What I want for my birthday is for you to make me ecstatically happy and say you'll marry me." Hermione, totally speechless and tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, could only nod her agreement. Harry grinned widely as he took her hand and slid the diamond ring onto her finger, then kissed every knuckle on her hand.

She giggled slightly when the others around them began applauding. Harry stood and returned to his own seat just as the waiter arrived to take their order. His heart swelled with love and pride as she stared at the gem all the way through dinner and then dessert. When they'd paid their bill, he took her hand and asked if she wanted to walk home. She shook her head as they left the building.

"No, I don't think your present is going to wait that long."

"We only live two blocks from here," he said before he caught the glimmer in her eye. "Oh! Well, then, we'd better find a place where we can Apparate without being seen as quickly as possible." He saw a street lamp than had burned out a little ways up the street, leaving the pavement below it in almost total darkness. "Come on." They reached the spot, Harry looked around to make sure no one was going to be able to see them, and they Disapparated from the street, reappearing in the living room of their flat. Hermione, apparently not caring that Ron was watching television in the room at the time, started tearing at the buttons of Harry's shirt. He stopped her with a kiss, gently took her hand and led the way to their bedroom.

"Harry, please," she begged as he locked the door. He remembered to cast 'Silencio' as Ron still hadn't let up on his teasing when he'd told them he knew about their relationship in the first place. He'd seen the look on the redhead's face when they headed down the hall, and knew he was in for a healthy dose of it in the morning as it was. He stripped her dress from her body, kissing her shoulders as it hit the floor. When he'd made her comfortable on their bed, he removed his own clothes and his glasses and lay next to her. She squirmed out of her undergarments as rapidly as she could, given that her swollen stomach made it very hard for her to move with any speed. She got them off and rose to her knees, finding the position that was most comfortable for her, on her hands and knees, with a pillow placed under her breasts, which Harry now slid underneath her.

He moved behind her and slid into her already drenched opening, groaning loudly when he reached his hilt. He thrust slowly and carefully, not wanting the pleasure to end, but build until neither one could bear the height and toppled over to the other side into oblivion. Hermione's hand reached back to take hold of his and pulled it to her center, touching the tip of his middle finger to the swollen nub and shuddering with the delicious shocks it gave her. Harry lay his torso over her back, bracing his weight on his free arm. He removed his hand from her clit only long enough to wrap it around her just under her breasts and pull her gently upright, sitting her on his thighs and knees. He returned his fingers to her slick sex, rubbing the hidden button with the pad of his thumb as his other fingers smeared her juices over his rigid cock sliding in and out of her. The sensation of having his member pressing against her in this new position and the knowledge of what he was doing, made her series of small orgasms start, setting the stage for the one she knew would come when he found his own release.  
"Hermione," he groaned against her neck. "I think we should have tried this weeks ago." She nodded her agreement, wanting to reach the peak with him soon. She didn't know how much more she could take. He started shuddering a minute later, burying his face in her hair to stifle the scream he let out when he began shooting his load into her steaming velvet sheath. Hermione braced her hands on either side of his legs to ride out her own ultimate wave.

They collapsed to one side, panting and shaking from their exertions. Hermione started to fall into a light doze, barely aware of Harry pulling a summer weight blanket over them both and slipping the forgotten pillow under her head, before settling down and finding sleep himself. 


	7. August

Who, When & How?- Chapter 7

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

August-

Harry straightened his tie and attempted to flatten his hair. He knew that it was hopeless, but as it was his wedding day, he wanted to look his best. He'd been feeling so wonderful since Hermione had accepted his proposal three and a half weeks earlier, that in his state of bliss, he'd even broken his promise to himself that he'd never have any contact with the Dursleys again, and had sent them an owl, inviting them to the wedding and reception. He'd even given them directions to the flat, where Mr. Weasley and Ron would be collecting the bride and groom before heading to the church. He hadn't heard any response from them, but then, he hadn't expected one.

Hermione called him from their bedroom and he hurried to see what was up. She was now five days past her due date, and although the doctor said that it could be at least another two weeks before the twins were ready to make their appearance, Harry jumped whenever he heard his name called. He found his wife-to-be standing in front of the closet, attempting to untangle herself from the cream colored silk gown she, her mother and Ginny had chosen at a dress shop two days earlier. He chuckled and crossed the room to assist her. They had just extracted her head when the doorbell rang.

"Who in the name of Merlin could 'that' be?" Hermione muttered as she was finally able to get her arms through the elbow length sleeves.

"I'll go see. I do wish Ron and Ginny were here instead of finishing the decorations at the hall. They were supposed to get that done last night, and we could really use some help today." He turned to face her as he stepped back out into the corridor. "It took me forever to figure out the buttons on this shirt and jacket." He gestured to his dove gray tuxedo. He heard her laughter as he went to answer the second, more persistant ring.

"All right, all right," he muttered when he reached the door. "For Godric's sake, don't get in a snit." He opened the door and found himself face to face with Vernon Dursley. "Uncle Vernon!" He was astounded. He hadn't really expected them to come, but here they were, standing on the mat outside the flat, looking slightly put upon. Harry stepped back and to the side. "Come in."

The Dursleys entered, looking disappointed to see that their former charge was now living in a very upscale area and seemingly doing well for himself. The decorations of the living room alone were enough to make Aunt Petunia's eyes nearly bug out of her head. He motioned for them to sit down and took the chair nearest the hallway in case Hermione needed him before they were to leave. Dudley shoved a plainly wrapped box at his cousin when he pushed past him to get to one of the more comfortable chairs by the window. Harry placed it on the coffee table and thanked them, getting curt nods in response. They sat in silence for a few seconds until Vernon spoke up.

"Little small, isn't it?" he asked, sounding slightly amused. "This flat?"

"Yes, but there are four bedrooms, so we have all the space we need. Would you like a tour?" His aunt and uncle shook their heads slightly. "Can I get you anything?" They shook their heads again, but Harry stood anyway. "Well, if you'll excuse me for just a second, I have to check on my fianc e to make sure she's all right." He hurried into his bedroom, closing the door behind him and pressing flat against it. Hermione laughed from her position on the bed where she was pulling her ballet flats on. She saw the expression of horror on his face and sobered the next second.

"Harry, what's wrong?" He shushed her impatiently as he hurried to the bedside.

"You remember that I invited my aunt and uncle to the wedding, thinking that they would never in a million years show up?" She nodded, then gasped.

"They're here, aren't they?" She stood up and started fussing with her hair.

"Hermione, what are you doing? I am, in no way, trying to impress these people, or asking you to. They treated me worse than dirt my entire life and now that I'm free to live as I wish and where I wish, I just want to be happy. Stop messing with it!" He laughed, catching her hands with his to still their actions. Hermione sighed.

"Well, are you going to take me out there to meet them already, or are we going to be late to the church? Mr. Weasley is due to collect us in about twenty minutes."

Harry groaned silently, took her hand and started back to the door. She kissed his cheek just as he opened it and gave him reassuring smile.

"I just can't help but think there's going to be more than one or two whispers and comments about your pregnancy. And that's before we leave the flat." They reached the end of the hall and the Dursleys looked up, silencing their own conversation as Harry led Hermione into the room. Sure enough, Petunia leaned towards Vernon on the sofa upon seeing the couple, and Dudley just gaped.

'Probably can't believe that I have someone as beautiful as Hermione, much less 'anyone' at all!' Harry thought hopefully, but knew it was due to her condition. He helped his fianc e into the chair he'd vacated, perching on the arm in fear of being too far away to protect her. He glanced down at her dress, wondering what his aunt and uncle seemed so intent upon staring at. All he saw was the long diaphanous cream colored sheath that stopped just short of her ankles, the modest scooped neck and half sleeves. Hardly reason to cause a fright. Even Hermione's hair had been tamed, no thanks to her earlier picking. It was in a French twist, with gold ribbons woven throughout, and she carried the veil she was to wear later in her hand. He then realized he had yet to introduce the four of them.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Where are my manners?" He smacked his forehead lightly. "Hermione Granger, this is my Aunt Petunia Dursley, her husband Vernon and my cousin Dudley." He took her hand, making the large diamond on her finger sparkle, the effect not lost on his aunt. "This is Hermione," he told them, now unnecessarily. Hermione nodded to each of the Dursleys with a small smile, receiving nothing in return. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes until Harry thought to tell them what it was he did for a living now.

"What?" his aunt asked haughtilly. "What is an Auror?"

"It's a dark wizard catcher," Harry responded. "We investigate suspected witches and wizards to verify their actions, and if they are involved in something illegal in the magical world, it's up to me and my coworkers to catch them and put a stop to it." The Dursleys all flinched at the mention of Harry's 'abnormality', but kept silent. Petunia and Dudley still stared at Hermione, while Vernon shot his nephew quite a few withering glances.

"All right," Harry finally said. "I give up. What is it? Why do you keep staring at Hermione and me like we've done something wrong? Other than be a witch and wizard, but you've always thought I was wrong for that one."

"You really want to know?" his uncle responded with a nasty smile. "Well, it seems that the two of you are putting this situation right just in time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just that she looks as if she's due any day now," Petunia said. "Got it sort of backwards don't you?" Hermione bristled and clenched her jaw.

"Harry isn't the father. There is no father if the truth be known. I don't know how it happened, I just know that one day I took a pregnancy test and learned that I was somehow pregnant. And I am sick and tired of everyone immediately getting on Harry's back about it!" Harry attempted to quiet her, but she brushed him off. "Why does everyone think that just because we live in the same flat and we started dating and got engaged, all within the last three months I might add, that he's the one that bears half the responsibility of my pregnancy? Even the people who he had the graciousness to invite to our wedding, even though you treated him worse than dirt all his life."

Now the Dursleys were offended. Vernon opened his mouth to retaliate, but was silenced by the arrival of Mr. Weasley and Ron.

Petunia and Dudley blanched at their arrival, but for different reasons. The last time they had seen the two redheads, the Dursley's living room had been destroyed, something Harry's aunt had been very upset about, and Dudley had had a run in with Ron's twin brothers' practical jokes involving a toffee that had made his tongue swell and lengthen to enormous proportions before Arthur could reverse the charm.

The two wizards noticed Harry's relatives, but made no comment. They were both still resentful of the parts the Dursleys had played in the final battle with Voldemort. They had all but delivered Harry to the Death Eaters in fear for their own lives. This had cost the lives of quite a few members of the Order when the war had started at the Burrow, the first to fall being Hagrid. Although years had passed since then, the wound had been deep, and apparently still had not closed and healed completely.

"Well," said Mr. Weasley. "I see you're ready to go. Shall we be off?" Harry rose from the arm of the chair and helped Hermione to her feet.

"I do wish you would tell us why we couldn't help with the hall decorations. After all, it 'is' our wedding," Hermione said as she joined Ron and his father at the Apparition point. This gained her a few chuckles. She and Harry were told that the final preperations for the hall were to be a suprise for them. They hadn't questioned it, but were more than a little bit curious as to why it was to be kept secret.

"How are 'we' supposed to get to the church?" spoke up Dudley, the first words he'd said since arriving. Harry grinned.

"The same way we are. You're going to Apparate." He kept back as Ron, Hermione and Mr. Weasley vanished, then moved forward to the spot, picking up the box from the coffee table as he passed it. His uncle looked to the where the three people had disappeared with horror.

"And how are we to do that?" he asked. He looked decidedly green at the thought of having anything to do with magic. "We aren't like you."

"Thank God for that," his nephew muttered. He met Vernon's eyes and explained. "You can Apparate with me. It's called Side-Along-Apparition. The main problem I'm going to have with it is you need to hold onto me rather tightly, and I have to be able to concentrate at the same time. I think I may have to make more than one trip."

His uncle and cousin took offense to this before Harry had the opportunity to make them understand. He held up his hands, then drew out his wand and pointed it defensively at Dudley as he began advancing menacingly. Petunia gave a small squeak of fear, and her nephew lowered the wand when Dudley stopped short.

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "Force of habit. But keep in mind that I am an adult now and can use magic whenever I want to. And I 'will' defend myself and Hermione if it comes to it. Now we have to get going. I don't intend to be late for my own wedding, so Aunt Petunia, you first." He held out his arm and gestured for her to join him. She gripped it tightly and swallowed when Harry closed his eyes. Vernon and Dudley exchanged looks of shock when the duo vanished. Harry returned a minute later and beckoned one of them to repeat the action. Vernon steeled himself and grabbed the profered arm a little more roughly than needed.

"There's not going to be any 'funny' stuff, is there?" he asked.

"There's not even going to be any movement if you don't let up on my arm. Remember, I 'do' have to be able to concentrate." Vernon's grip relaxed somewhat and they left for their destination. Harry reapeared after a minute, and gave Dudley a weak smile. His cousin looked terrified, and Harry knew why. Dudley's only experiences with magic had all been at his expense, and he didn't seem too keen to have another one.

"You're the last one, Dudders."

"The last one for what?" Dudley said, taking the use of his mother's nickname for him as evidence that something wasn't right.

"The last one for me to take to the church, you git," Harry answered, rolling his eyes. "Now get over here. I've already said once that I have no intention of being late for my own wedding and at the rate this is going, I'm pushing it really close."

Dudley crept forward slowly and tenatively gripped his cousin's arm.

"Tighter than that," he was told. "I don't want to leave any part of you behind." The grip turned to iron. The next thing Dudley knew, he felt as if he were being squeezed from all sides and his lungs were about to explode from his chest. It was almost as if he were on that ride at the fun fair, the one that moved on the outside at an incredible speed, but on the inside, you couldn't move. The sensation passed, and he looked around. They were behind a church, although Dudley couldn't quite understand how they had gotten there. Harry had extracted his arm and was heading into the building. Dudley hurried to catch up to him. He slowed Harry with a hand on his shoulder as he reached him.

"What?" asked the slightly frustrated groom.

"Can we do that again?" Harry halted and turned around, flabbergasted.

"You 'liked' that?" Dudley nodded ecstatically.

"But don't tell Mum and Dad," he whispered. Harry shook his head in disbelief and chuckled to himself as he continued to the sanctuary.

'Well, 'there's' the surprise of the century, Dudders likes Apparition.' Ron waved as Harry entered, and ran forward to collect him.

"Didn't have any problems, did you?" he whispered as he took his friend to the next room.

"No, but you won't believe this." Ron's eyes widened with shock just before he doubled over with laughter upon entering the place where the groom and his attendants were to wait until the wedding began. Fred, George and Neville looked up at the sound and called out their welcomes.

"What's so funny, Ron?" George asked his brother. Harry explained once more, receiving the same reaction from the new audience, except Neville, who didn't know the Dursleys as well as the others.

"Why is that funny?" he asked. Fred told him about how horrible Dudley had been to Harry all his life and the retaliations he'd recieved from Hagrid and the Weasleys before Harry himself had been pushed too far, and as soon as he'd turned seventeen, had charmed his cousin's favorite video game to emerge from the television screen and the characters attacked Dudley with their miniature weapons whenever he attempted to play it.

"The best part about that," Harry inturrupted, "Is that my aunt and uncle couldn't do a thing about it, and although they waited and waited for me to get chucked out of Hogwarts, I was of age in the wizarding world and was able to use magic whenever I wanted."

"You think they would have remembered that after the talk Dumbledore gave them before sixth year," Ron added to the amusement of Fred and George. Neville now understood how Harry's story was funny and joined in the laughter. The door opened and Bill stuck his head around it.

"We're ready for you, now."

Harry swallowed nervously and nodded, following Ron and Neville to the door, Fred and George right behind him. They moved to their positions before heading out to the chapel, Harry taking a deep breath and leading the line to the altar. He closed his eyes to momentarily block out the sight of all the people assembled to witness his wedding, then scanned the groom's side quickly in search of one person he hoped would come. He found her and turned to face the altar.

"What's that cow doing here?" Ron whispered from behind him, having noticed Rita and her photographer near the back.

"I invited her. I want to see if she keeps her promise to Hermione about the way she reports our lives," Harry whispered back.

The music began and everyone turned to look to the rear door as the bride's attendants began to enter. Leading the group were Bill and Fleur's twins, Noel and William, with Luna Lovegood, Ginny, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell each following a few steps behind the other. They reached the front across from Harry and his party just as the bridal march began and Hermione and her father entered the chapel. Harry beamed with pride at his beautiful fianc e. She smiled happily back for the duration of her journey to join him. He stepped forward and took her hand when she reached the front pews, and together, they stepped up to the minister.

"How did you get the church so fast, mate?" Oliver Wood asked Harry two hours later during the reception.

"Easy. I donated a lot of money." Hermione laughed and took the glass of water her new husband held out to her.

"Don't listen to him, Oliver," she said. "My father is friends with the minister that married us. They've known each other for years. But it was really just pure luck that the church was free today." The three of them were sitting at the edge of the dancefloor, Hermione's feet propped on Harry's lap and Harry's on the empty seat across from him. Oliver had just joined them and occupied the last chair at the table.

"Now, are you married as Muggles?" Harry nodded.

"I wanted it to be official for when the twins are born. I don't know how much clout a wizarding marriage would hold when the children are already concieved at the time of the wedding. This way it's valid in both worlds."

He watched Hermione's father dancing with Mrs. Weasley and to his absolute surprise, Dudley was now asking Luna Lovegood to dance with him! He nudged Hermione's foot.

"Look at this," he said, gesturing to his cousin. Luna and Dudley had now joined the other dancers on the floor and were swaying slowly back and forth to the music. Hermione smiled.

"I think it's sweet," she said. "Maybe he's coming around to see that just because we can use magic, that doesn't mean that we are freaks or that we're not normal." She looked around for her new aunt and uncle, spying them on the other side of the room, also swaying to the music, and she pointed this out to her husband. He grinned when he saw them.

"Maybe 'they' are, too," he said. Hermione reached behind her and started rubbing her lower back. It had been bothering her more and more over the last few days, just as the doctor had said it would when the twins had dropped lower into Hermione's pelvis.

"You O.K.?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. It's just that spot on my back. I can't wait until these two are born and I don't have all this excess weight causing me problems and discomfort."

Harry slid out from under her feet and moved around to behind her chair. She allowed him to gently push her forward as far as her stomach would let her go, and he rubbed the spot she'd been massaging with quite a bit of pressure. Hermione sighed in relief. Harry was the only one that was able to relieve the stress the twins put on her back. Oliver laughed at her expression and stood up.

"I think I'll leave you two alone and get myself some of the groom's cake before it's gone."

Harry and Hermione bid him good-bye as he walked away. The announcement that the newlyweds were going to be cutting the wedding cake soon came over the speakers and Hermione groaned softly as Harry helped her to her feet.

She waddled to the table that bore the reason for their not being allowed to help with the decorations, a massive confection that Mrs. Weasley had made for the occasion. Harry walked at her side. She still was in awe that he was wearing the dove gray tuxedo and the reason why. Her rings glittered in the light of the candles that stood on either side of the cake as she picked up the knife. Harry's left hand closed over hers, his own ring shining just as brightly. Their guests gathered around them to watch as their joined hands slid the knife through the frosting down to the base it sat upon. When they'd made the second cut, Harry slid the slice out and put it on a saucer before breaking off a piece and carefully feeding it to his bride. She did the same for him, neither wanting to go along with the silly tradition of cramming the cake in the other's face. It wasn't that they thought it asanine, just that Hermione had voiced her objections to blowing frosting out of her nose for the next few days, and Harry not wanting to give the Dursleys or Rita Skeeter any reason to harrass him. Then having finished their task, they moved out of the way during the applause they recieved so that Mrs. Weasley could serve the cake. Harry led Hermione back to their table and sat her down.  
"I really want to get you home so that you can lie down," he whispered in her ear.

"I know, but we only have to do three more things before we can leave. I still have to throw my bouquet, and you have to throw my garter." She ran her finger across the velvety petals of the white roses. "Then the presents. I gather we still have about an hour and twenty minutes to an hour and a half, then we can go. Don't worry, love. I'm fine."

"You're sure?" He recieved a nod. Petunia joined them, her face showing concern for her new niece, even if she was a witch.

"She looks as if she's going to go into labor any second. She 'is' due soon isn't she?"

"Five days ago as a matter of fact," her nephew replied as he sat down. "The doctor said that it will probably be another week or two before the twins are ready to be born, but I'm not so sure." His aunt goggled at this news.

"Twins? You're having twins?" Hermione smiled slightly and nodded, placing her hand on her stomach as one of the babies gave her a good hard kick to the ribs.

Finally, the time arrived for Hermione to throw the bouquet. At the announcement, all the single women gathered around as Harry helped his wife up onto the stage. She went out to the middle and turned her back to the room, lifted the bouquet over her head and threw it. A loud combined squeal emitted from the women, followed by a cheer when Ginny Weasley caught it. Harry applauded along with everyone else, then knelt down in front of Hermione when she sat on the chair that had been put on the stage.

"I feel so ridiculous doing this in my condition," she said, getting laughter in response. Harry lifted her gauzy skirt to her knees and moved to take the garter off, but was stopped when he heard a yell from the back of the group of single men taking the place of the women, "Use your teeth, Potter!" The groom gave the audience a sly grin and ducked his head to the bride's leg, gripped the elastic of the garter with his teeth and slowly pulled it off to the whistles of the single men.

"Oh, my God!" Hermione moaned good-naturedly from behind her hands. Harry laughed as he stood and whipped the garter over the edge of the stage. They watched as the men tussled over it for a second, then applauded when Neville held it triumphantly over his head.

"Now I think it's time to open our presents so I can take you home, Hermione," Harry whispered to his wife as he helped her off the chair and back to their table. "You really look like you need to get to bed."

"All right, Love. We'll open the gifts now." She sat down at the table gratefully. She didn't want to admit it to him, but she had been feeling more achy than usual today. It hurt her to stand for more than a few minutes, and the twins seemed to be throwing a party inside her. Her back was in more pain now than when she'd gotten up, everything seemed to hurt. She wished she had a more comfortable chair, but didn't want to voice this and worry Harry anymore than he already was. It was nice to be fussed over, but she wanted her husband to have some of the limelight of their wedding day, too. The presents were tranported to their table and Harry picked up the one from his aunt and uncle.

"What do you suppose they decided to get us?" he whispered in her ear. "Given their history of toothpicks and hangers for my birthdays and Christmas, I don't think anything could surprise me." Hermione took the gift from him and opened the plain paper, then the box. She gasped when she'd pulled the tissue paper back and revealed a small folded piece of puple cloth embroidered around the edge with symbols usually only found in the wizarding world. She took it from the box and let it fall open.

"It's a blanket," she whispered. "A beautiful baby blanket." Harry looked to his aunt for an explanation.

"You were brought to us in them, and I thought you might like to have them back," she said simply. Hermione looked back down and saw the second blanket in burgandy with the same symbols.

"We'll take them to the hospital with us," Harry said. "Thank you, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon."

An hour later, the last guests bid the newlyweds good night and good luck as they left the hall. The only ones left were Harry, Hermione, the Dursleys, Ron and Mr. Weasley. Harry was working on the cleanup, making it go faster by using his wand to propell the discarded paper plates and plastic silverware into the trash bin in the center of the room. Petunia and Hermione were stacking the gifts to be transported back to the flat by Ron and Mr. Weasley, and Vernon and Dudley were just finishing packing up the remaining food that was also to go to the flat.

"O.K.," Harry said when the bag in the bin had finally been tied shut. "Hermione's going with Ron and Arthur first, she needs to get to bed and off her feet. I'll take the end of the presents and food, then come back for you," he continued to his aunt, uncle and cousin. Ron gathered a load of the gifts and Disapperated with them, returning a few minutes later when his father did the same. He helped Hermione to her feet and they waited for Arthur's return, talking about Ron's sleeping arangements for the night.

"Ron, really. You don't have to go to the Burrow. Trust me," she lay a hand on her stomach. "Harry and I are just going to sleep. I'm exhausted. I'm going to take a bath and go to bed."

"No," Ron declined. "You two need to be alone together on your wedding day. There's plenty of room at the Burrow now that everyone but Ginny's moved out. I'll see you tomorrow, though." His father arrived at that moment and the two of them waved good-bye to Harry as they would be leaving for the Burrow from the flat, then taking Hermione by her arms, Disapperated from the hall. Harry gathered up the rest of the gifts and containers of food.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," and he was gone. He hurried the food into the kitchen and shoved it into the already overflowing fridge, and hearing the start of the water in the bathroom, called to his wife that he would only be another five to ten minutes. She called back her agreement, and he returned to the hall to collect the Dursleys. He bid them good-bye and thanked them for coming as they left the flat. They nodded and turned to go down the stairs.

When they were gone, Harry shut the door and locked it, turned on the outside light and turned to tackle the problem of where to put the gifts for the time being. All the thoughts of putting them into the guest room closet flew out of his head the next second.

"HARRY!" 


	8. Time To Go To The Hospital & Memory

Who, When & How- Chapter 8

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

Harry sprinted into the bathroom, expecting to find Hermione on the floor, having missed the bar they'd installed on the wall beside the tub. Instead he found her standing by the sink, a puddle around her feet.

"Hermione, what is it? Are you all right?" he asked with more than a little alarm. She shook her head.

"My water just broke." Her face contorted into a grimace of pain. "Harry, I'm in labor. We need to get to the hospital." Harry stood there dumbstruck for a second. "Now, Harry." That spurred him into action.

"O.K. What did you do with your bag? Is it still in the closet by the door?" Hermione nodded. He turned to leave as the contraction fully hit her.

"Harry! Don't leave me!" He crossed the room to help her sit on the toilet lid.

"I have to get your things ready, then I'll come back for you. I promise I won't be more than a few minutes." She released the death grip she'd inflicted on his hand and nodded.

"All right. Go, I'll be fine. If I need you, I won't hesitate to scream." They laughed, knowing full well that she would do no such thing unless the pain was so bad that she needed morphine, and she had no intention of using any painkillers whatsoever during labor or the delivery. Harry ran from the room and down the hall to the front closet.

As he opened the door, a wave of dizziness came over him. Something flashed in his mind. He was in a dimly lit room and felt hands running down his body to his throbbing erection. A warm wet feeling followed it and he knew that he was embedded inside his lover's body.

Harry gripped the doorjamb and shook his head as the picture faded.

"What was that?" he whispered. He didn't know if he had just experienced a memory, or if his frazzled mind was playing tricks on him. He looked down and remembered why he had opened the closet in the first place. He grabbed the handle of the suitcase and kicked the door shut as he turned around. He saw that Hermione had followed him from the bathroom.

"Hermione, I said I would be back to get you in a few minutes," he admonished.

"Harry, that was almost fifteen minutes ago," came the reply. "I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to deliver the twins in the bathroom."

"Fifteen minutes? But that's..." He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It verified that almost half an hour had passed since they had arrived home.

"Do you have everything?" He looked to his wife with confusion. "You have my suitcase. Was there anything else you needed to get?"

"I need to leave a note for Ron," he answered slowly. He didn't understand what had happened to the time. He moved past Hermione and into the kitchen, grabbed the pad of paper that sat by the fridge and scribbled a quick note to Ron explaining what had happened and where they were.

Another flash before his eyes.

His head had fallen back and without his glasses, the ceiling was a dim blur. He felt the growing pressure in his groin, knew it wouldn't be much longer, lowered his chin to capture her mouth, her face out of focus...

He jumped as he felt a hand on his arm. He looked at it, then to the worried face of his wife.

"Are you alright? It can't take that long to tell Ron that we've gone to the hospital, can it?"  
"What?" Hermione glared at him.

"Harry, I've been waiting for you in the other room for almost five minutes, I don't know what you've written to Ron, but I don't think it requires that much time." She grimmaced in pain as another contraction started. Harry scrawled his name at the bottom and took her arm.

"Come on, let's get you to the hospital." They went out the front door, Harry locked it and helped her carefully down the stairs and out onto the street. The early evening air was stifling hot. Hermione groaned while her latest contraction reached its peak and slowly ebbed, then wiped the sweat streaming down her face with aggrivation, hailed a cab.

"Why did you do that? We could just Apparate," she said testily. The taxi stopped in front of them.

"It's not worth the risk to you and the twins. You wouldn't be able to concentrate like you need to. Trust me, this is the better choice." They got in, gave their destination to the driver and focused on Hermione's state at the moment.

"Oh, God!" Hermione moaned. Her third pain in fifteen minutes began and she gripped Harry's hand so tightly that he started to feel it go numb from lack of blood. He watched the monitor she'd been hooked up to to gauge how the contraction was going.

"It's almost over. Going down, down, down, gone." His wife breathed deeply when it was over.

"That one 'really' hurt. They're getting stronger now, as well as closer together." The doctor knocked on the door as she opened it and walked over to the bedside.

"How are we doing, Hermione?"

"About as well as I can be with the pains increasing. Do you think it'll be much longer?"

"Well, that's what I'm here to check." She looked at Harry. Hermione followed her gaze and stopped her before she could ask him to wait outside.

"It's all right. He's my husband now. We were married today." The doctor smiled widely.

"That's right. You said your wedding was on the twenty-fifth. I'm sorry that I couldn't come, but I had rounds to do today."

She moved to Hermione's middle and pulled down the blanket. Harry kept his eyes locked to Hermione's, stroking her hand with the backs of his fingers to comfort her as the exam was done.

"You're almost eight centimeters, so I don't think it will be too much longer. I'll check again in about twenty minutes, but if you start feeling as if you need to push before that, page the nurse's station and I'll come running. Just don't start pushing until 'I' tell you to." The soon-to-be-mother nodded and thanked her.

"Hermione," Harry said when they were alone again, "I want to tell you what was going on back at the flat before the twins are here."

"Given what we were just told, you'd better make it fast, and I want a full explanation."  
"I didn't know so much time had passed. I thought you had followed right behind me from the bathroom and into the kitchen. I must have blacked out or something, but I remember having these sort of visions. They were really erotic, involving me and a woman. I didn't see her face."  
"You've been having fantasies about another woman?"

"No! Nothing like that. It seemed to be like...I don't know...Like..."

"Like d ja vu, and you don't remember what it was that you saw?" his wife interrupted.

"Exactly! I only remember that I must have had my glasses off, because when I looked at her, everything was a blur. I don't even know if it was real." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "It happened twice. I just don't know what happened or how." He looked at her when she hissed in pain. He monitored the contraction. She surprised him with her next words when it ended.

"It's happened to me, too."

"What? When?" he asked.

"When the cribs were being delivered. Remember that I thought you had only been gone for a few seconds?" Harry nodded. "When you left the bedroom, I tried to recall what I had seen in my mind, and must have fallen asleep without even realizing that I was doing so. The only thing that I got was that it was sort of hard to see."

"I wonder if Ron's had these flashes, too," Harry said. "It seems strange that both of 'us' are having them, but it stands to reason that if we are, 'he' may be as well."

The doctor came back and said she wanted to check Hermione again. The need for that was shoved away as the patient suddenly started feeling the contractions all on top of each other.

"Well then, we'd better get you to the delivery room," came the quip with a smile. She raised the side bars of the bed and detached the monitor. As the bed was wheeled out into the corridor, Hermione was again instructed not to push until she was told to.

"Harry!"

"I'm right here," he answered. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Except to change. You won't be able to be around the babies in that," the nurse that had joined them said, indicating the tuxedo he'd been in all day. He was taken into the next room and handed a set of surgical scrubs.

"And put this on as well," she said, handing him a mask to go with them. He nodded and quickly stripped out of the tuxedo as soon as the door was closed behind her.

He put on the pants and had just slid the shirt over his head when he experienced another flash. His back was arched and he cried out as he started to come. His partner wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck and followed with a series of whimpers and miniscule moans. He fell backwards, taking her with him. As he came down from the euphoria, he whispered, "Why did we wait so long to do this?" She turned her face into his shoulder, kissing his sweat slickened skin before she answered.

"Harry, we need you in here, now!"

He blinked rapidly and turned to look at the nurse in the doorway. "What?" he asked thickly.

"Hermione's beginning to push. She needs you. Now." As the nurse left him to follow her, he heard her mutter to herself, "Can't believe it takes him ten minutes to change into a set of scrubs!"

Harry didn't take the time to think about that last bit, but hurriedly pulled on the green booties he'd found inside the bundle he'd been given and tied the mask over his face and went to the door. He took Hermione's hand upon reaching the bedside and she nearly crushed the bones in his fingers as she started to bear down as hard as she could. He whispered words of ecouragement in her ear and counted to ten along with the doctor to get the most from each good push. He could tell that Hermione was getting tired, and he tried to help her as much as he could, telling her how much he loved her, and that he would always think of the twins as his own children.

Finally, they heard a tiny cry as the first was brought into the world.

"It's a boy!" they heard the doctor exclaim. A fresh set of contractions began before the baby could be handed to his mother, and the pushing started again.

Three minutes later, they again heard a cry, followed by, "It's a boy!" The newborns were cleaned and brought to their mother. Harry saw them as they were laid on Hermione's breast and gasped.

"Oh, Harry, aren't they beautiful?" Her answer was her husband passing out cold on the floor from shock.

"All right, all right! I'll have a drink with you. I just don't see why it's so important."

Harry laughed as he and Hermione sat down at a small table in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh, come on, Hermione! You and I don't get to see each other that much these days. We're always at work, or I'm at Ron's Quidditch practices. I think we both need to unwind and you can tell me how you're doing since you and Josh broke up." He hoped he didn't sound too eager, but he wanted to know if there was any chance of Hermione's former boyfriend coming back into her life.

"Really, I'm fine. He wanted to see other people and we both agreed that it would be better for us to go our seperate ways. But, Harry, I told you all this two months ago." He shrugged.

"I know, just checking that you're all right. Now, what do you want to drink?"

"Surprise me," she shrugged now and laughed when he got up from their table and headed to the bar. He waited for a few minutes while Tom and his new assistant took care of customers at the other end of the bar, and smiled when they noticed him.

"Harry Potter!" Tom exclaimed as he hurried over. "What can I do for you?"

"What's the best drink you have, Tom?" A wide grin appeared on the face of the assistant.

"Albert here has come up with a new one that has become 'very' popular with some of our younger patrons. You head back to your table and we'll bring them out to you and your lady friend when he gets them mixed."

"O.K. Thanks." Harry turned and rejoined Hermione.

"I didn't expect you to come back empty handed," she smiled.

"Tom's bringing them over when they're done."

"What did you order?" He looked over his shoulder at the young wizard mixing the drinks. Albert was staring at their table and started when he realized he'd been caught. He dropped his eyes and looked a little startled as he looked at the blue bottle in his hand. Harry laughed to himself and turned back to Hermione.

"I don't know. Tom said that Albert makes a really popular new one, so that's what we're getting. I think he's a little starstruck." He glanced back over his shoulder and saw that Tom was urging Albert to hurry. Albert was attempting to tell him something, but was shushed as the drinks were finished. Tom picked them up and carried them to Harry's table.

"Didn't mean to keep you waiting. He's a little flustered to have you as a customer." Harry grinned at the young bartender and noticed that he seemed a little worried. He picked up the glass and took a sip of the deep purple liquid. It was sweet and tangy at the same time, and gave him a tingly feeling in his fingers and toes. It felt rather pleasant, and he smiled warmly up at Tom.

"I think I see why this drink is so popular, don't you, Hermione?" She nodded enthusiastically and took another sip of her own drink. "Thank you, Tom." The bartender nodded and turned to walk away. "Oh, and Tom?" The man looked back at him. "I insist on paying for them."

Harry grinned as the barkeep flushed for a second, as if he were trying to think of a way to refuse money from Harry Potter, but apparently was unable to do so and returned behind the bar, where he was stopped by Albert. Harry saw Hermione's confused expression when he turned back to her.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just that Tom and Albert stared at us for a second, then Tom waved off something Albert was saying." She took a rather large gulp of her drink. She set the glass down on the table and stared at Harry intently.

"O.K. What is it now? Do I have something on my shirt? Or in my hair? This place is known to have lots of magical debris floating around." She shook her head and set her chin on the heel of one hand.

"I was just thinking how attractive you are." Harry sat up straight in his chair and looked round to see who she meant. They were surrounded by empty tables, so he pointed to himself. "Yes, you, Harry. You have the most beautiful green eyes, they go wonderfully with your hair by the way."

His eyes widened as he listened to her say these things. He downed half of his own drink to cover his embarrassment. He met her eyes when he'd set the glass down and was struck by how beautiful her hair was. It somehow started a stirring between his legs. He shifted uncomfortably.

"You all right, Harry?"

"Yeah, but it's getting a little warm in here, isn't it?" He shrugged out of his jacket and swallowed the rest of his drink when she did the same. He gripped the glass tightly as he attempted to control where his blood was going, and jumped, almost crushing the glass when he felt her foot slide between his thighs, rubbing his crotch. He remained as still as he could, hoping that she would stop, and praying that she would continue.

"Harry?"

"Yes?" he replied hoarsely, her toes now caressing a full erection.

"What do you say we go back to the flat now?" He nodded and nearly groaned with frustration when her foot left him. Hermione slammed the rest of her drink and handed him the glass as he stood and pulled his shirttail from the waistband of his pants to cover his state. He took the glasses to the bar and took his money pouch from his pocket.

"What do I owe you, Tom?" he asked. He handed over the three galleons and four knuts he was told and said, "Sorry to be leaving so soon."

"That's all right. Everyone leaves pretty fast after 'that' drink. I've never been able to figure out why." Tom looked a little disconcerted, and Albert gave Harry a quavery smile in farewell. Tom started cleaning the bar as Harry turned to leave.

He could swear when he reached the door, that he heard the bartender whisper loudly, "Albert! How much did you put in their drinks?" Before he could go back and question this, however, Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the cold night.

Harry slammed the door shut behind them and attempted to get out of his jacket without breaking the passionate kiss he and Hermione were engaged in. She feverishly pulled at the buttons of his shirt, getting them open just short of sending them flying across the room. They reached Harry's room and stumbled inside, where they finally broke apart.

"Don't turn on the lights," Hermione said when he reached for the switch. She pulled out her wand and waved it, bathing the room in a dim glow. "I've always wanted to make love by candle light." Harry grinned as he pulled his shirt from his shoulders.

"It's not really candle light, more like 'wand' light." He pulled her lowcut jumper over her head and kissed her passionately before starting to make his way down to her breasts. He nibbled at the hard peaks through her satin bra, reached around to undo it and gain more access to her.

"I need you, Hermione," he whispered as he slid his hands down her sides to the waistband of her skirt. She pulled them to the back and placed them on the fastenings.

"I need you, too." She pulled her bra off and stepped out of the skirt when it hit the floor a second later. She grabbed Harry's shoulders and propelled him to the bed. "But I don't want to be standing up for this."

She lay him down and sliding her hands down his sides, undid his pants, pulling them and his boxers off, taking his shoes and socks along with them when they got tangled up in the process. She kicked off her own shoes and pushed her knickers down and off her body, then clambered onto the bed and straddled his hips. She reached between them and took hold of his penis to align it, and slid down onto his hard length. Harry's eyes closed tightly for a second, then opened as she removed his glasses and tossed them to the floor, where they landed with a soft thump on their clothes. Hermione began moving over him with agonizing slowness. Harry groaned loudly when she ground her pelvis into his and flipped the two of them over. Hermione wasted no time in wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him deeper into her body. He hissed and lowered his head to capture her mouth under his. She willingly opened to him, moaning softly when their tongues met. Harry raised up onto his elbows and started to slowly thrust into her warm tunnel.

"Oh, my God!" Hermione whispered, her eyes closing tightly. "Please don't stop, Harry! Please don't stop!" Her arms found their way around his neck. He used this as leverage to take her with him as he rose slightly to his knees. He gasped upon finding himself more deeply drawn inside.

"I don't intend to stop," he groaned. "You feel so good, it's going to make me cum!" Hermione giggled a little.

"Isn't that the point?" She emphasized this by having an orgasm of her own. Rapid throbbing started in her walls, spreading throughout her body within seconds. As soon as it ended, another began, then a third. "Holy cricket!" she panted when the final wave subsided as Harry switched their position again. "I never had multiples with Josh!" She crushed her breasts against his chest as she devoured his mouth, and wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist while she rode him. Harry leaned back on his hands at her urging and let her do as she wished. His head fell back, and he felt the pressure building in his groin.

His eyes stared blankly at the blurry ceiling for a second, then he lowered his chin to kiss her. He was so far gone in his passion, he was unable to focus on her face even though it was so close to his own. He felt it start, his back arched involuntarily, Hermione's arms gripped his neck for dear life, and he let out a near scream as he came. He faintly heard her little whimpers and moans as she came one last time. They collapsed backwards together on the covers, panting heavily.

When his mind was clear enough, he asked, "Why did we wait so long to do this?" Hermione buried her face in his shoulder, kissing his sweaty skin.

"I don't know, but remind me to thank Albert in the morning. That drink of his is a wonderful aphrodisiac. And you were incredible!" She raised herself onto her arms to look down at him.

"I don't mean to seem as if I'm running away, but I have to use the bathroom really badly. I'll be back in a few minutes." Harry nodded as she slipped off him and stood up. She looked around the floor in the faint light.

"What?" he asked, moving up to the head of the bed and getting under the covers.

"I just can't stand the mess we made. I'll take my clothes with me and dump them into the hamper, then grab my robe on the way back." She gathered the articles and her shoes, then headed out into the hall. Harry leaned against the pillows, closed his eyes and thought that they were going to have to tell Ron about this somehow.

But as he drifted off a few minutes later, the last thought in his mind was, 'Tell Ron what?' and he didn't hear Hermione's bedroom door close down the hall. 


	9. Hermione Remembers

Who, When & How- Chapter 9

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

Hermione turned her head, seeing her husband still unconscious on the next bed. The doctors had put him in the same room with her so they would be able to talk when he came around.  
'And we have a 'lot' to talk about,' she thought as she returned her gaze to its former position. She closed her eyes and let the memory wash over her once more.

"All right, all right! I'll have a drink with you. I just don't see why it's so important," Hermione said as Harry led her into the Leaky Cauldron. He laughed as they sat down at a small table.

"Oh, come on, Hermione! You and I don't get to see each other that much these days. We're always at work, or I'm at Ron's Quidditch practices. I think we both need to unwind, and you can tell me how you're doing since you and Josh broke up."

Hermione thought to herself that he and Ron were worried about her, and she was going to have to have a talk with both of them as soon as Ron came home from the tour his team was currently on the next morning.

"Really, I'm fine. He wanted to see other people and we both agreed that it would be better for us to go our seperate ways. But, Harry, I told you all this two months ago." He shrugged.

"I know, just checking that you're all right. Now, what do you want to drink?"

"Surprise me," she shrugged now and laughed when he got up from their table and headed to the bar.

She watched him as he waited for a few minutes then lowered her eyes to the table, smiling to herself and thinking that she was lucky to have the two most wonderful friends in the world. She looked up again just as he turned to return to the table.

"I didn't expect you to come back empty handed," she smiled.

"Tom's bringing them over when they're done."

"What did you order?" He looked over his shoulder at the young wizard mixing the drinks. The younger bartender was staring at their table and started when he realized he'd been caught. He dropped his eyes and looked a little startled as he looked at the blue bottle in his hand. Hermione thought the bottle looked vaguely familiar, but was unable to place it. She shrugged as Harry faced her once more.

"I don't know. Tom said that Albert makes a really popular new one, so that's what we're getting. I think he's a little starstruck." Hermione looked to the bar as he glanced over his shoulder again, and saw that Tom was urging the young man to hurry. The assistant was attempting to tell him something, but was shushed as the drinks were finished. Tom picked them up and carried them to their table.

"Didn't mean to keep you waiting. He's a little flustered to have you as a customer." Harry grinned at the young bartender and Hermione saw that the young man seemed a bit worried. Harry picked up his glass and took a sip of the deep purple liquid, then smiled warmly up at Tom as she took a drink of her own.

"I think I see why this drink is so popular, don't you, Hermione?" She nodded enthusiastically and took another sip. She was starting to feel tingles in her fingers and toes and rather liked it. "Thank you, Tom," Harry said. The bartender nodded and turned to walk away. "Oh, and Tom?" The man looked back at him. "I insist on paying for them."

Harry grinned as the barkeep flushed for a second, as if he were trying to think of a way to refuse money from Harry Potter, but apparently was unable to do so and returned behind the bar, where he was stopped by his assistant. The two of them had a rapid quiet discussion, turned to look at their table and Tom waved whatever it was off. She crinkled her brow in confusion.

"What?" Harry asked upon seeing her expression.

"Nothing. Just that Tom and Albert stared at us for a second, then Tom waved off something Albert was saying." She took a rather large gulp of her drink. She set the glass down on the table and stared at Harry intently.

"O.K. What is it now? Do I have something on my shirt? Or in my hair? This place is known to have lots of magical debris floating around." She shook her head and set her chin on the heel of one hand.

"I was just thinking how attractive you are." Harry sat up straight in his chair and looked round to see who she meant. They were surrounded by empty tables, so he pointed to himself. "Yes, you, Harry. You have the most beautiful green eyes, they go wonderfully with your hair by the way." His eyes widened as he listened to her say these things. He downed half of his own drink in an attempt to cover his embarrassment. She giggled to herself to see him so flustered. He met her eyes and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "You all right, Harry?"

"Yeah, but it's getting a little warm in here, isn't it?" He shrugged out of his jacket and swallowed the rest of his drink when she did the same. She noticed he'd clenched his glass in a death grip as she slipped one shoe off and slid her foot between his thighs. He jumped and almost crushed the glass when she started rubbing her toes against his crotch. He sat very still, and she took that as a sign that she should continue.

"Harry?"

"Yes?" he replied hoarsely, and she noted that her toes were now caressing a full erection.

"What do you say we go back to the flat now?" He nodded and she saw he was suppressing a groan of frustration when her foot left him. Hermione slammed the rest of her drink and handed him the glass as he stood and pulled his shirttail from the waistband of his pants to cover his state. She again giggled to herself while he took the glasses to the bar and took his money pouch from his pocket. She stood and gathered up their jackets, then went to stand outside in the chilly November air.

She watched him as he paid for the drinks and turned. As he reached the door, she heard Tom whisper loudly, "Albert! How much did you put in their drinks?" By this time she wasn't caring much about what had been in the drink, and before Harry could turn and ask about it, Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the cold night.

Harry slammed the door shut behind them and attempted to get out of his jacket without breaking the passionate kiss he and Hermione were engaged in. She feverishly pulled at the buttons of his shirt, getting them open just short of sending them flying across the room. They reached Harry's room and stumbled inside, where they finally broke apart.

"Don't turn on the lights," Hermione said when he reached for the switch. She pulled out her wand and waved it, bathing the room in a dim glow. "I've always wanted to make love by candle light." Harry grinned as he pulled his shirt from his shoulders.

"It's not really candle light, more like 'wand' light." He pulled her lowcut jumper over her head and kissed her passionately before starting to make his way down to her breasts. He nibbled at the hard peaks through her satin bra, reached around to undo it and gain more access to her.

"I need you, Hermione," he whispered as he slid his hands down her sides to the waistband of her skirt. She pulled them to the back and placed them on the fastenings.

"I need you, too." She pulled her bra off and stepped out of the skirt when it hit the floor a second later. She grabbed Harry's shoulders and propelled him to the bed. "But I don't want to be standing up for this." She lay him down and sliding her hands down his sides, undid his pants, pulling them and his boxers off, taking his shoes and socks along with them when they got tangled up in the process. She kicked off her own shoes and pushed her knickers down and off her body, then clambered onto the bed and straddled his hips. She reached between them and took hold of his penis to align it, and slid down onto his hard length.

Harry's eyes closed tightly for a second, then opened as she removed his glasses and tossed them to the floor, where they landed with a soft thump on their clothes. Hermione began moving over him with agonizing slowness. Harry groaned loudly when she ground her pelvis into his and flipped the two of them over. She wasted no time in wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him deeper into her body. He hissed and lowered his head to capture her mouth under his. She willingly opened to him, moaning softly when their tongues met. Harry raised up onto his elbows and started to slowly thrust into her warm tunnel.

"Oh, my God!" Hermione whispered, her eyes closing tightly. "Please don't stop, Harry! Please don't stop!" Her arms found their way around his neck. He used this as leverage to take her with him as he rose slightly to his knees. She heard his gasp as she pulled him deeper into her body.

"I don't intend to stop," he groaned. "You feel so good, it's going to make me cum!" Hermione giggled a little.

"Isn't that the point?" She emphasized this by having an orgasm of her own. Rapid throbbing started in her walls, spreading throughout her body within seconds. As soon as it ended, another began, then a third. "Holy cricket!" she panted when the final wave subsided as Harry switched their position again. "I never had multiples with Josh!" She crushed her breasts against his chest as she devoured his mouth, and wrapped her legs more tightly around his waist while she rode him.

Harry leaned back on his hands at her urging and let her do as she wished. His head fell back and she continued to raise and lower her hips, loving the feel of having him inside her. She didn't want this to ever end. He lowered his face back to hers, his eyes totally out of focus. His back arched and he fairly screamed. She felt him pulsing, letting her know he was coming, and she tightened her arms around his neck and followed, letting out little whimpers and moans. He fell backwards onto the covers, taking her with him.

He said when their breathing had slowed a bit, "Why did we wait so long to do this?" Hermione buried her face in his shoulder, kissing his sweaty skin.

"I don't know, but remind me to thank Albert in the morning. That drink of his is a wonderful aphrodisiac. And you were incredible!" She raised herself onto her arms to look down at him. "I don't mean to seem as if I'm running away, but I have to use the bathroom really badly. I'll be back in a few minutes." Harry nodded as she slipped off him and stood up. She looked around the floor in the faint light.

"What?" he asked, moving up to the head of the bed and getting under the covers.

"I just can't stand the mess we made. I'll take my clothes with me and dump them into the hamper, then grab my robe on the way back." She gathered the articles and her shoes, then headed out into the hall.

She deposited the clothes in the hamper, set her shoes down and used the bathroom. She thought as she washed her hands that they were going to have to tell Ron something in the morning, but couldn't think of what it was.

She noticed her shoes sitting on the counter and wondered how they had gotten there. She shrugged and picked them up, and saw in the mirror she was totally naked. As this was the way she usually slept, she didn't think twice about it, but knew that Harry was home, so she grabbed her robe and pulled it on, then turned off the light and headed to her bedroom. She closed the door and did her usual routine, then climbed into bed and lay there a few minutes thinking about a dim light and Harry, but realized as she drifted off, she couldn't make a connection.

"That 'was' one incredible aphrodisiac."

Hermione opened her eyes and turned to see Harry rubbing his. He lowered his hands, sat up and looked back at her.

"They're mine, aren't they?" he asked, refering to the babies. She nodded happily.  
"I remembered everything when I saw them. Harry, thank you."

"For what?" he asked, sliding off the bed and moving to the chair next to her.

"For making me more happy than I've ever been in my entire life. Are you O.K.?" He nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. I think it all came back to me when I saw them, too. Sorry I passed out on you. The doctors must think I'm squeamish or something. Now you're sure?"

"Yes, love. The mystery has been solved, and everyone was right. 'You' are the twins' father." Harry had little time to digest this wonderful information due to a knock on the door. They turned to see Ron and Ginny peering into the room.

"You can come in," Harry laughed.

"Oh, Hermione! We just saw your babies, and they are the most precious things!" Ginny gushed, handing Harry the bunch of flowers she'd brought with her. He put them on the bedside table.

"How did you know we were here?" he asked.

"Forgot my Quiddich robes for tomorrow. Went back to the flat and while I was getting something to drink from the fridge, I saw your note," Ron answered. "By the way, the twins look an awful lot like you, Harry." Harry stole a sidelong glance at his wife, and the two Weasleys noticed.

"What?"

"Turns out you were right. I 'am' the father." Ginny's jaw dropped.

"But I thought you said..." Hermione cut her friend off.

"I know, but at the time we didn't remember having slept together. It was all due to an accident at the Leaky Cauldron."

"A very innocent accident. Tom's assistant didn't have a lot of experience at the time, and he got really flustered when he got me as a customer," Harry added. "He was paying more attention to me than what he was putting in the drink." His wife looked thoughtful.

"I can't place what wizard alcohol would be in a blue bottle and have the power to erase memory."

"I can think of one," Ron said, lighting up. "One of my former teammates was studying to become a bartender just before he left the team. He invented this really spectacular drink that would get you all hot and bothered, and while he was studying its effects, he also found that if he put even a drop of Black Widow brandy in, it caused the drinker to forget what they had been doing for a short time. Total mind wipe. The effects of that depended on how much had been put in. It's completely innocuous in other drinks, just has that effect in a mixture of black currant juice, Gillywater, and Slow Burn. That's a newer alcohol that extends the time it takes for the drinker to get pissed. Only allowed to be used by bartenders, though. He found out that if you put the last three together, they make an aphrodisiac so powerful, that if you are attracted to the person you're drinking it with, you can't resist. You 'have' to act on it." Harry and Hermione exchanged looks while he was telling this. "He decided that he wanted to be a bartender more than a Quidditch player and quit the team a little over a year ago. Can't quite think of his name..."

He drifted off as he thought.

"Albert," Harry and Hermione offered simultaneously.

"Yeah! That's it. Albert Kellam. How did you know?"

"Because he was the bartender that made us those drinks," Harry replied. Ron's eyes bugged.

"You mean he gave you the 'Shag Inducer'? That's what the team called it," he explained at the looks the others were giving him. Harry and Ginny laughed, but Hermione looked let down.

"That means it was a complete fluke that we hooked up the first time, Harry," she said unhappily.

"I don't think so," Ginny spoke up. "You heard Ron about how the drink works didn't you?" She recieved a blank look. "Explain it again," she prompted her brother.

"Two drinks are made. You start to drink them and get a tingle in your fingers and toes, and if you are attracted to the person you're with when the aphrodisiac starts to kick in, you have to act on it. You just go wild when you are alone, doesn't matter where you are. I should know, I got caught a few times with some of the girls from the team. The stronger the attraction, the sooner the reaction." Harry's eyes lit up.

"We left less than half an hour after we arrived at the Cauldron." Ron smiled.

"There you go, then. You two were hot for each other before you even acknowleged it. Now why did you say something about a blue bottle, Hermione?"

"Like Harry said, Ron, Albert wasn't paying attention to what he was putting in the drink," was his answer. "From how long it took us to remember, I reckon he put quite a good measure of the Black Widow brandy in." She smiled as the door opened and a nurse brought in the babies, closely followed by Ron and Ginny's parents.

"Apperated back to the Burrow to tell them what was going on," Ron whispered to Harry. His friend nodded and picked up one of his sons as the nurse left with instructions that they were to have no more than six visitors at one time, and for some reason, there was quite a group in the waiting room.

"Have you named them yet?" Molly asked. Hermione shook her head and briefly explained what had happened since Harry had passed out in the delivery room. She took the baby from her husband, then motioned for the extra recieving blanket in the bassinet when her son started whimpering. She asked Ginny to untie the shoulder of her hospital gown while she adjusted the baby, then covering her upper body with the blanket, she settled him into position and felt him latch onto her nipple. Ron looked astounded.

"You knew how to do that already?" he asked. Hermione chuckled.

"The nurse showed me when I'd been brought back to the room. This is the second time they've been fed. Poor Harry was out so long that he missed the first one." The others noticed that her husband's eyes were fastened on the sight before him. He smiled sheepishly when he realized they were watching him.

"Sorry, just thinking how amazing they are." Ron laughed.

"The babies, or Hermione's..." He was cut off when his sister elbowed him in the ribs.

"You know what he meant," she said.

Hermione smiled up at Harry.

"They 'are' amazing, aren't they?" She lifted her chin when he leaned down to give her a kiss. "And they belong to both of us." She traded babies with him when the first began to nod off and the second started to fuss.

"Well, we don't want to tie up all the time left in the visiting hours," Ron announced a few minutes later. "I know that Rita Skeeter has to be 'dying' to get in here and get the story of the millenium."

"Well, she's just going to have to wait a few minutes longer," Harry replied. "I don't want her to see the twins before our friends do. Where are Hermione's parents?" Ron shrugged.

"We left a message on their...what do you call it again?" Harry laughed.

"Answering machine. Really, Ron, you have to get reaquainted with some of this stuff on your next break. How about my aunt and uncle?"

"They're in the waiting room, along with Dudley," Ginny answered hesitantly. "Harry, do you really want them to come in here?"

"Actually, I think Dudley and Petunia are getting better about magic," Hermione said. "Vernon, I don't know, but he is related to you, Harry. It's your decision."

"Well, he did come to the wedding. That was more than I was expecting in the first place, so maybe there is hope for him." He nodded to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when they bristled at his answer. "Yes, I know that Hagrid and all the others are gone, and it was seemingly because they told where the Burrow was, but I've been thinking about that. As they didn't know themselves, how could they have spilled the secret? They weren't Secret Keepers."

At the blank looks this gathered, he added, "I guess we'll never know the truth, will we?" Sadness crept into his voice as he remembered those they had lost. The Weasleys took this as their cue to go, and bade the new parents and their children goodnight. As soon as they were gone, Hermione tapped Harry's shoulder and he looked up. In the doorway stood his aunt, uncle and cousin. He stood up and beckoned them into the room to meet the twins.

"We can't tell you their names yet, we still hadn't decided on that before the wedding. We thought we had another two weeks, and just couldn't agree on anything about naming them," Hermione said, handing the now sleeping baby to her husband. He sat back down carefully, looking from one twin to the other in his arms, trying to figure out how he was going to put them to bed without waking them.

"But you still have no name to put on the birth certificates as to the father, do you?" Vernon asked, not unkindly. Petunia stepped forward to help her nephew put the babies back into their bassinets.

"Actually, we know who the father is," he said when he'd thanked Petunia. "And although I still think that the comments back in the flat this morning were uncalled for, you were right. I 'am' the father, we just had an accidental run-in with a potion in a bar that altered our memories. When we saw the babies, everything came back to us." Dudley looked down at the sleeping newborns.

"Are they like you?" he asked. Hermione stiffened with anger and was about to retort, but Harry saw that he'd meant no harm and held his hand up to stop her.

"We don't know if they are wizards yet. But it would only stand to reason that we should put them down for Hogwarts as soon as possible." He ran his hands through his black hair and sighed. "Now I think it's time to give Rita what she wants. Better get it over with before she has a total fit in the waiting room." 


	10. Birth Certificates Going Home

Who, When & How- Chapter 10

Disclaimer- Don't own them. (sigh) Not making the millions for them, either.

August 26- Early Morning-

Harry Potter- Boy-Who-Lived, Becomes A Father!  
By: Rita Skeeter

Well, readers, it is now 'official'! Yesterday afternoon, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, married his expectant friend from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger. This is going to break many a witch's heart, as Mr. Potter has long been the most elligable and sought after wizard since Gilderoy Lockhart. And as previously reported back in March, I was specultating on who the father of the baby was, suggesting that it may have been Harry. Well, the truth has now been revealed. Due to an accidental addition to her drink last November, Hermione had no recollection of being with anyone when her child was concieved. Harry was unable to tell her, as he had also been given the drink. But! Last night, Miss Granger, or should I say, Mrs. Potter went into labor and was taken to a nearby Muggle Hospital where she delivered not one, but two baby boys! Yes, dear readers, she had 'twins'! And the effects from the potion have apparently worn off, as the mother now remembers having...*ahem*...'been' with Harry that night, and he remembers the same. The twins, whose names had not been released at the time of this printing, were welcomed by their parents and a great number of former schoolmates from Hogwarts. Mrs. Potter is doing well and she and the children are scheduled to be released later this morning...

Harry quickly hid the 'Daily Prophet' under himself as a nurse entered the room with the breakfast trays. She smiled faintly at him when she'd set them on the bedside table.

On her way back to the door, she whispered, "Don't worry. I know all about the 'Prophet'." Harry stared at her with mild surprise.

"Are you a..." She cut him of with a shake of her head.

"No. My parents are a witch and wizard, but me? I'm a Squib. Haven't got a drop of magic in me." She winked, turned and left. Hermione moved in her bed as she started to wake up.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly enough, good. I'm not too achy, yet. But I am hungry." She'd spied the trays sitting on the table. Harry jumped up to get her breakfast for her, then started in on his own.

"You know, we can't call them Baby One and Baby Two all their lives. Have you thought of any names for them?" he asked. His wife nodded.

"I was thinking that one could be named after you."

"You mean Harry James Potter, Junior?" She nodded again as she chewed and swallowed a mouthful of eggs. "You sure you want to subject one of our sons to that? I mean they're going to have enough to deal with being The Boy Who Lived's children."

"Yes, I'm sure. I've always known that I wanted to name my first son after his father, and since it's you, that makes it even more important." He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"How?" he asked.

They need the name to go with the fame," she answered matter-of-factly. Harry laughed at her way of thinking.

"All right then, I get to choose his brother's name."

"Not Sirius. Please, Harry."

"No, no. Nothing like that. I was thinking maybe Thomas Albert." He waited while she considered this.

"Thomas Albert Potter? You mean after Tom and Albert, the bartenders that unknowingly made us the happiest people in the universe? That's wonderful!"

"And I think that we should take the twins to see them as well. I mean, they inadvertantly had a hand in their births, so they should be the first ones outside the hospital and our friends and family to see them."

"That reminds me, any word on my parents yet?" Her husband nodded.

"They arrived in London about three this morning and didn't want to wake you up, so they came to see the babies and welcome me to the family some more." He chuckled. "Like they didn't do enough of that yesterday at the wedding."

"Well, at least I know you'll never forget what day the twenty-fifth of August is."

Harry pushed his empty tray aside and moved to the edge of his wife's bed.

"How would I ever be able to forget the happiest day of my life?" He leaned down to kiss her.

"Ahem." Harry and Hermione both turned to see the doctor and Hermione's parents standing in the doorway.

"I was wondering if I could check on my patient before the babies' next feeding. If she checks out O.K., you can take them home." Harry smiled at the woman as he stood up.

"Sorry," he apologized, moving away from the bed.

"Harry, Love, why don't you go down to the Records Department and fill out the birth certificates? I can sign them when we leave." He agreed and followed Hermione's parents out of the room so the doctor could do her exam.

"Fill out the birth certificates?" Richard Granger asked of his new son-in-law. "Does that mean you've decided on their names?" Harry nodded with a huge grin and headed towards the elevators.

"Well, what are they?" Marianne Granger asked. Harry turned as he stepped inside the elevator and answered her.

"Talk to your daughter when you go in the room."

The doors closed and Hermione's parents looked at each other with exasperation. They had hoped to be told as soon as their grandchildren had been named, and not have to wait for the doctor to finish with their only child.

Harry got off the elevator on the ground floor and turned right to go to the front desk.

"May I help you?" the woman asked him.

"Which way is the Department of Records?" he inquired. She smiled and pointed to the left of the desk.

"Down this corridor, take a left, then a right and it's the last door at the end." He thanked her and continued on his journey. When he entered the office, he ran into someone he didn't expect to see there.

"Malfoy? What in the name of Merlin are 'you' doing here?" Harry's hand immediately went for his wand.

"Calm down, Potter," Malfoy drawled. "I'm not here to create trouble for you or your family. I was bringing something to my wife if you really want to know." Harry stepped back in shock.

"Your 'wife'?" Draco nodded.

"And to show you that I really don't want to cause you trouble and I'm telling the truth, I'll introduce you to her." He turned and went to the counter. Harry followed him, still reeling from the surprise. "Diana," Malfoy called out.

"Just a second, Draco!" came the cheerful reply. A tall woman with dark mahogany hair and bright blue eyes stepped from behind a filing cabinet and smiled widely. "Did you forget something?"

"No, I just ran into one of my old schoolmates and wanted to introduce him to you." Diana's eyes moved to Harry, who was hanging back a bit. Her own eyes widened with shock.

"Harry Potter!" she exclaimed. "You went to school with Draco?" Harry nodded with confusion. Diana came around the counter and held out her hand. "I'm Diana Malfoy, Draco's wife. It's an honor to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you," he replied.

"Now, what can I do for you?" she asked, returning to her post. "You must have been coming down here, because Draco didn't have enough time to leave the office and run into you anywhere else." Harry stepped forward.

"I need to fill out birth certificates for my twins that were born last night."

She smiled and turned to open the top drawer of the filing cabinet. "The doctor sent down their general information. We just need their names and your information and your wife's." She handed him a pen and pushed the forms across the counter to him. He filled out the forms, handed them back to her and after a bit more conversation, left the office to head back to his wife and sons.

"You'll never guess who I ran into downstairs," he said to Hermione, who was sitting in a chair by the window, completely dressed. She looked up from reading the copy of the Prophet he'd brought with him, intrigue on her face. "Draco Malfoy."

"You're joking, right? Why in the world would he be in a Muggle hospital?"

"Turns out he's married to the woman that works in the Records Department. And get this, she's a Muggle." He explained how the woman had known who he was due to one of her cousins being Viktor Krum and how Draco had obviously gotten over his Pureblood obsession. An hour later, with Thomas and Harry, Jr. fed and changed, the little family left the hospital and headed back to the flat that was where the whole mystery, now solved to the delight of the twins' parents, and which would have to be sold within the next two years as not only did Harry and Hermione's family grow, but Ron's and Luna's as well when they married the next summer and proceded to attempt to catch up to Harry and Hermione in number of children. The whole lot of them moved to a large manor house, bought by all four of the friends, where they lived happily ever after. 


End file.
